Magicians and Dragons
by DarkManedFox
Summary: [AU][HTTYD plot] Magicians and Dragons; Sworn enemies. Both would kill the other on sight. But what happens when one young magician refuses to kill one particular dragon?
1. Magicians and Dragons 1

**Disclaimer:  
****I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

**Reality Check (Please always keep this in mind when reading every chapter of every story):**Stories are just stories... they are not real and are only for your imagination so DON'T apply into reality anything unreal, wrong, stupid, dangerous, and badly prejudiced... (duh!).

**Author's notes (AN)**  
- Please refer to my profile if you have any questions regarding anything about the entire story. In my profile, there are certain sections that contain more info regarding my fics (Story Infos) and the way I represent thoughts, talking, and other stuff. (Writing Style). If the answers are not in my profile, then send me a message...

- Hey Hey! I am back! And here's a new fic. Consider it as a Christmas gift. XD

- Some information:  
**= "Mana's Monologue"**

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 1**

_=3500B.C, Predynastic Period=_

**"This is the Nile Valley. It is located twelve days north of nowhere and a few degrees south to boiling. It is located solidly near the sea of misery. My home. In a word. Sturdy. It's nice. Our clan has been here for seven generations but the buildings are always new. We have fishing, hunting, and charming view of the sunsets."**

"**The only problems are the pests."**

Cutting through the peaceful morning, a creature swooped down, snaring a helpless goat in its grasp.

"**Most people usually have rats, mice, mosquitoes, and all that. We have..."**

There was a roar. Then everything was hurled into a storm of claws, wings, and flames.

"**...Dragons."**

"**Most people would leave. But not us. Trust me. We are Magicians. So you can say we have superiority complexes." **

Bursting from their respective homes, magicians of all ages and types began their defense, doing what they could to fend off the ferocious beasts that were scooping up their food. Swords clanged. Spells were cast. Charms were conjured. An all out war began.

"**My name is Mana. I know. Not the best magician name there is. But hey. It's not like I chose the name. And being raided by big and powerful reptiles is what we go through everyday. I know what you're thinking. How sad. Boo hoo. Well it is not. Like I said. We are magicians. So we fight back." **

One young magician, smaller than the rest, rushed among the crowd, skidding past her bigger comrades as she went. Because of all the chaos, everything, including her senses could not be relied upon. And her sense of sight just failed her when she failed to see a burly magician soldier crash into her way, knocking her to the ground.

The soldier roared before...

"Good morning..." He casually greeted, getting up and resuming his run.

The young magician was not hindered. She stood up and pushed through once again.

"What are you doing out here, Mana?"

"Get back inside..."

"Stay out of our way..."

Those were the words her comrades screamed at her. But she paid them no heed. Instead, she continued on with her way, pushing towards one cornered dragon before a hand shot out and grabbed her by the back of her tunic.

"What is – Mana, what are you doing out? Get back inside..." Yelled a man with long brown hair as he threw Mana out of the way. A dragon flew past them. And he had no problem in blasting it away with a spell.

"**That's Master Magician Mahaad, chief mage of the tribe. They say when he was a baby, his sneeze cast a powerful gale that sent a dragon's limbs in all the wrong places. Do I believe that legend? Yes. Yes I do."**

Turning to a man of short brown hair, Mahaad began "So...what do we got?"

"Grey Wings, Koumoris, Curse, Fortress Guardians, Hyozanryu, Red Eyes, and Blue Eyes." The man answered. Both shielded themselves when a streak of fire fell down on them.

"Any Winged Dragons"

"None so far..."

"Good..."

…  
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ooooooo

...  
...

Mana ran through the crowd, dodging a powerful blast of fire formed by one of the beasts before entering the weapons hut.

"Hey there Mana..." A man with short dark hair greeted while he dipped a blade in some glowing liquid. "Good of you to join us. I thought you had been carried off..."

"Who...me? Naw..." Mana countered, grabbing a couple of bottles for the concoction she was to make. "C'mon, I'm way too tough for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with...all this..."

"Well, they need toothpicks don't they?" The man joked as he packed what looked like glowing cannon balls.

"**The meat head with the attitude and hands the size of melons is Karim. He's the weapons expert of the clan. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler..." **

"We move to the lower defenses." Mahaad ordered to his fellow comrades as they ran through the blasts of fire that continued to bombard the small village. "Prepare the catapults." They ducked just in time when a building in front of them was shattered by a dragon's powerful blast.

"**See. Old village. Lots and lots of new houses."**

"FIRE"

"C'mon let's go go GO" A lavender eyed young man yelled as he and two others grabbed some large glowing stones and loaded them on the catapult. There was a whoosh. And the Fairy Meteors were soaring through the air, sending one dragon down in a blast of color. Fire was born. But one girl was quick to react. She had murmured a spell, putting out the fire before it could spread.

"**Oh and those are Bakura, Jono, Honda, and Teana. They are being trained to become top magicians. Those guys. Their jobs are so much cooler."**

A dragon swooped down on all four of them. But before it could fire a blast, a blue eyed teen jumped on it, firing a spell, and sending it back to where it came.

"**And that's Seto. He's also a student. Just like Bakura and the others. What made him different? The fact that he thinks he's better than my brother. Well I'll show him. I'll-"**

Mana gasped when she felt a strong hand grab the back of her tunic, lifting her up from the ground. "Oh, C'mon. I gotta get out there. It's time to make my mark..."

"Oh, you made your mark alright..." Karim said smoothly. "Plenty of marks..." He nudged Mana. "All in the wrong places..."

"Please..." Mana begged as Karim released her. "Just two minutes. I'll kill a dragon and my life will get infinitely better... I might even get asked out..."

"You can't cast a spell or charm...properly. You can't wield a blade. You can't even lift up a Fairy Meteor Crush. And you can't even throw one of these..." Karim reasoned, holding out a weighed net to which another magician grabbed an threw it to a dazed Curse.

"Maybe I can't use those..." Mana admitted. "But I can use this..." She strode over to what looked like a small catapult. "This will throw it for me..." And when she touched it, it did throw it for her, hitting one fellow magician square on the forehead.

"You see..." Karim said exasperatedly as he neared Mana. "This here is what I am talking about..."

"It just needs some mild calibration and-"

"No...no... Mana, If you ever want to get out there and fight dragons, you need to stop all...this..."

"But you just gestured to all of me..."

"Yes. That's it..." Karim pointed out. "You need to stop being all of you."

"Oooohhhh..."

"ooooohhhhh yes."

"You sir... Are crossing a dangerous line." Mana began, trying to make herself appear taller. "keeping this much raw...Magicianess...contained...There will be consequences..."

"I'll take my chances..." Karim said smugly before turning around, leaving a fuming young magician. He returned later, carrying a sword. "Mix those potions and dip this sword. Now..." He ordered, handing the blade to Mana.

Mana pouted, grumbling as she made her way to the cauldron and started her task.

"**One day, I'll get out there. Because killing a Dragon is everything around here."**

"**A Grey Wing is sure to get me noticed. Koumoris are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely earn me the rank of toughie. Hyozanryu. Ooo. Exotic. Priceless catch" **

"They found the cattle!" One of the soldiers yelled.

"Distract them..." Mahaad answered. "Lead them to the lower bank..."

"Yes Sir..."

The tower they're standing on shuddered.

"**And then there is the Blue Eyes." **

A large white dragon towered above them, preparing to fire a powerful blast.

"**Only the best Magicians go after those. They have this nasty habit of shattering everything on sight with that powerful Burst Stream of theirs."**

"RELOAD" Mahaad roared as he faced the dragon. "I'll take care of this..." As the beast, opened its mouth, Mahaad had cast a charm. Ropes came out of thin air and wrapped themselves around the reptile's snout.

"**But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen."**

A piercing hark echoed in the air, matched with a sound of what seemed to be a high pitched whistle. That sound marked something deadly. Mahaad looked up. Mana looked up. Everyone looked up. They all knew and dreaded what was coming.

"**We call it the..."**

"WINGED DRAGON"

"GET DOWN" Another man yelled, just in time for a ball of golden lightning fire to destroy one of their main catapults.

"JUMP"

The ones atop the rather large catapult, landed on the ground, not getting a chance to see the lighting fast dragon that zoomed through the smoking wreck.

"**This thing never steals food. Never shows itself."**

There was another blast of lightning fire, destroying another of the main catapults...

"**And never misses. No one has ever killed or even captured a Winged Dragon of Ra. That's why I'm gonna be the first." **

Mana stood up and began walking, fast. She passed Karim, stopping when she saw him putting on his gear.

"You're in charge, Mana." Karim said. "They need me out there." But before he left, he turned around, raising a finger. "Stay...put...there." He sighed. "You know what I mean." He raised his enchanted spear, let out a battle cry, and vanished amidst the chaos.

"**And no one's gonna stop me..."**

* * *

**AN:  
- **And there you have it. The first chappie. By the way, has anybody guessed what HTTYD stands for? Here's a clue. It is a movie that I do not own. Lol. Anyway. I have set this in the predynastic period. This means that there are no Pharaohs during this time. So Mahaad is not a Pharaoh here. He is the leader of the early settlers that settled around the Nile Delta sometime during 7000BC.

- Update schedule is on the profile.

- Some more information:  
= Fairy Meteor Crush is a real equipment spell card. The picture and the effect is in the Card Guide link on my profile under Some Sources. The dragons are also real cards I got from the same guide.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 2**

"MANA"

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?"

"GET BACK IN THERE"

Mana ignored those words. She continued to make her way through the crowd, pushing her experimental catapult while she was at it.

She was going to capture a dragon. And no one was going to stop her.

She pushed passed trees, struggled through rocky terrain until the sounds of battle became slightly muted. She emerged in a clear field with an equally clear view of the sky. With a determination like no other, she assembled her catapult and waited, carefully scanning the skies for any signs of her target.

Everything was still and silent.

"C'mon..." Mana muttered, scanning the skies eagerly. "Give me something to shoot at. Give me something to shoot at."

Something stirred. Her eyes widened. A sound, the one she was waiting for, gurgled out from the distance. And then, that familiar hark. There was a blast of lightning fire.

And it zoomed past, before she could get a clear look at it. But she was not going to give up that easily. Closing her eyes, she fired the catapult, letting the restraints spin in the air.

There was another shriek. With wide eyes, she watched as something gold fell from the sky.

"I hit it?" Her eyes widened further. "YES, I HIT IT" She yelled in delight. "Did anybody see that?"

There was growl. And it came right behind her. She turned around, coming face to face with a Red Eyes. "Except for you..."

The Red Eyes let out its signature roar...

…  
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ooooooo

...  
...

There was a scream. A scream that caught Mahaad's attention. He turned around. In shock, he watched as a large Red Eyes began playing cat and mouse with an all too familiar form he immediately recognized as Mana. He sighed, making one final knot on the net of captured dragons before taking off.

"DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE" He ordered as his comrades took over in securing the captured dragons.

…  
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ooooooo

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Mana ran and ran, occasionally screaming when blasts of red light blocked her way. She hid behind a pillar, shuddering upon feeling the blast vibrate through the stone. Slowly, she sneaked a peek behind her, unaware that the dragon had slipped right in front of her, about to open its mouth when it was hit with a spell. She staggered back, just in time for Mahaad to charge in. She stared helplessly as Mahaad bombarded the beast with spells until it took off.

"**Oh...there is one more thing you must know..." **

Mahaad stared sternly at Mana. Mana just bowed her head in shame, holding her breath as the pillar she had been hiding in gave way and collapsed, crushing another building. She winced when the gigantic flames atop it rolled off, sending more of their fellow villagers screaming.

"Sorry...Big Brother..."

They all watched as the dragons, minus a few, flew off, carrying with them their crying livestock. All stares soon shifted, landing right on Mana's humbled form.

The silence was...disturbing...

"I caught a Winged Dragon..." She said. She yelped when her brother grabbed her arm and half lead, half dragged her back home. "It's not like the last few times, Brother." She argued as he led her through the crowd, not noticing the stares she was getting. "I really did catch a Winged Dragon. You guys were busy and I had a clear shot. It went down just off the Valley. We can send a search party and-"

"STOP"

Mana paused, holding her breath as her brother's eyes bore into her's.

"Just...stop..." Mahaad sighed. "Every time you step outside, disaster falls. Do you not see that I have bigger problems? The annual heat wave is almost here and I have an entire village to feed."

Mana darted her eyes here and there. "Yeah." She lowered her voice. "But between you and me, the village could use a little less feeding...don't you think?"

But that did not go unheard. The groans proved it.

"THIS ISN'T A JOKE, MANA" Mahaad said sternly. "Why can't you follow the simplest orders?"

"I-I can't stop myself..." Mana answered. "When I see a dragon, I just have to...you know...kill it... It's who I am, brother."

"Oh dear..." Mahaad sighed, burying his face in his hand. "Many things Mana. But a dragon killer isn't one of them..." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just go back to the house." He turned to Karim. "And make sure she gets there... I have her mess to clean up."

Everyone began dispersing as Mana walked, Karim right behind her. She could hear and see people muttering to each other, staring at her as she passed.

"Quite the performance..." Honda said, nudging a snickering Jono.

"I've never seen anyone mess up that bad..." Jono added when he finally recovered, earning him a thump to the back of the head from Karim.

"Thanks.." Mana called back sarcastically. "I did try my best..."

Their home stood on a clearing. With no one with her other than Karim, she spoke.

"I really did capture a Winged Dragon. But he never listens. And when he does, it is always with a disappointed scowl like someone skipped the honey in his honey cake." She stood in front of the door. But before she entered, she made a face, deepening her voice to mimic her brother.

"Oi waiter, I'm afraid you gave me the wrong sibling. I ordered an extra large girl with big beefy Heka and extra guts and glory on the side. This here. This here is a talking fish bone."

"Now you're thinking about all this all wrong" Karim interjected. "It's not what you look like. It's what's on the inside that he can't stand"

Mana stared at him. "Thank you for summing that up." She moved to enter the home.

"The point is..."

Mana paused, listening intently.

"Stop trying hard to be something you're not." Karim said quietly.

"I just wanna be one of you guys..." She murmured before opening the door, entering, and shutting it quietly.

Karim just sighed as he turned around, unaware that Mana had exited the house through the back door.

…  
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ooooooo

...  
...

"Either we finish them or they will finish us..."

Within one of the main halls of the humble village, the Magicians have gathered, plotting and planning on taking down their enemy.

"It's the only way to end this."

Murmurs echoed. All agreeing with what Mahaad suggested.

"If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave." He added, slamming his hands on the table. "They'll find another home." He stabbed a blade through a parchment with images of dragons. "One more search. Before the heat sets in."

"But those ships never come back." Pipped up one of the mages.

"We're Magicians. It's an occupational hazard." Mahaad pressed. "Now, whose with me?"

There were murmurs. And they were not the agreeing kind. That made Mahaad sigh before adding...

"Alright...Those who stay will look after Mana..."

Immediately, hands shot up in the air.

Mahaad smirked. "Now that's more like it."

Everyone dispersed, leaving Mahaad alone with Karim.

"I'll pack my undies..." Karim said as he prepared to leave.

"No..."

He stopped, turning to Mahaad.

"I want you to stay, Karim." Mahaad said. "To train the new recruits."

"Oh, okay then..." Karim stated. "While I'm busy, Mana can mind the stall. Enchant some swords. Compress some spells. Lots of time to herself. What could possibly go wrong?"

Mahaad sighed. "What am I going to do with that girl?"

"Put her in training with the others..."

"I'm serious..." Mahaad stated sternly.

"So am I" Karim countered.

"She'll be killed the moment you let the first dragon out of the cage..."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't..."

"Listen, you don't know what she's like..." Mahaad sighed, standing up. "From the time she could crawl, she's always been...different. She doesn't listen. She has the attention span of a sparrow. I go for fishing and she goes for hunting...trolls..."

"Trolls exists..." Karim pointed out. "And they steal socks. But only the left ones. Wonder why..."

Mahaad leaned on the wall. "When I was a boy..."

"Oh, here we go..."

Ignoring the comment, Mahaad continued. "My father told me to mutter this certain spell and slam my head on a rock. And I did it. I thought it was crazy. But I didn't question him. And do you know what happened?"

"You got a headache..."

"That rock split in two. He thought me what a real magician could do, Karim. It's not just all casting spells. Oh no. He could crush mountains. Level a rocky terrain. Tame seas." He ranted. With a sigh, he slumped next to his friend. "Even as a boy, I knew what I was. What I am supposed to become. Mana is not like that."

Karim looked up. "You can't stop her, Mahaad. You can only prepare her. I know it seems hopeless. But truth is, you won't always be around to protect her. She's going to get out there again. She might even be out there right now..."

…  
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ooooooo

...  
...

Walking through the thick trees, a guide scroll in hand, Mana sighed. She was going around and around. And judging by the many marks on her map, she had combed every inch of the Valley. With a frustrated cry, she stuffed the scroll back in her belt. "Oh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife. Or their mug. No, not me. I managed to lose an entire dragon..." She slammed her fist at a lowered branch. Hard. Only to have it swing back at her face.

Rubbing the offended area, Mana looked up. Her eyes widened. The entire tree seemed to have been torn into two by something that forcefully pushed passed it. She looked down. Her breath hitched.

A path was forcefully torn through the once lush area, ending with the cliff just beyond her. With great caution, she followed it. Upon reaching the cliff, she took a deep breath and looked down. What she saw made her hide back.

A dragon was tangled in her net...

* * *

**AN:  
**- How to Train Your Dragon. Yup. Everyone got it right. XD. And I do not own it. **  
**- The 'Canon Orb' of chapter 1 has been changed to Fairy Meteor Crush which is an Equip Spell card of the Card Game  
- Please check my profile for further updates.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
Chapter 3**

In a wave of awe, Mana jumped down from her perch, nearing the tangled being with caution. She could not help but be amazed. It was nowhere near as large as a Blue Eyes but it was exceptionally beautiful. Its entire body seemed to be made of gold, armor like feathers. A head much like an eagle's was decorated with armor hard feathers that centered a sapphire crystal. Its tail. It was long and sharp tipped. And it glimmered against the sun. It looked more like a griffin than a dragon.

"I did it..." she gasped, nearing the being. "I caught a Dragon. And it's not just any dragon, but a Winged Dragon. This changes everything." She placed her foot on the dragon's side. "I have slain this-"

She jolted. The dragon had shifted, vainly trying to flap its wings as it took breath. Shakily, she mustered the courage to look into its face. She was stunned, lost in the pools of amethyst crimson that stared right back at her, daring her to take the plunge.

She just noticed that her breathing had been ragged. But she did not care. "Stop looking at me like that" With a frown, she pulled out a small dagger from its hidden sheath. "I'm gonna kill you, dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it back to my brother." She took another deep breath. She never expected it to be this hard. "I'm a magician." There was a low growl from dragon. But she shook it off. "I'm a MAGICIAN" She raised the dagger high above her head, looking at the bird like beast with one eye.

The dragon was staring at her. Amethyst crimson eyes wide with fear. The kind of fear that made her hesitate. But she refused to acknowledge it. She focused on her blade and on her aim.

The dragon closed its eyes and slumped back, a gesture of defeat. Mana closed her eyes and raised her dagger, taking in deep breaths. The air was tense as it waited for the dagger to cut through. She willed her hand to push down. But something was stopping her. It was no outside force. It was her own self. A part of herself didn't want to end the dragon's life.

An inner turmoil raged inside her. To kill. Or not to kill.

And it was the latter that won out...

"I can't do it..." she muttered, dropping her raised arms and losing that killing stance. "I can't. I just can't" she took deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down. She looked at the dragon and for the millionth time that moment, felt pity. "I did this..." She muttered, backpedaling slightly. She gazed at the dagger in her hand. Her grip on it tightened. She knew what she must do.

The dragon's eyes snapped open. The sound of knife slicing against ropes hissed into the air as Mana freed the beast as quick as she could. Upon feeling the restraints fall, the dragon pounced, pinning her to the ground. Mana stared up at it in fear, thinking that this was the end. But the only thing it did was let out a scolding hark before flying off...rather clumsily... She watched and listened as it flew off, its shrieks getting muted by the distance. Turning around, she made her way back. But she collapsed from the sheer fear she felt.

…  
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ooooooo

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...

Grinding some Castor weeds, Mahaad contemplated on what Karim had said to him. The last thing he wanted was for his sister to get hurt. And that included the kind of hurt coming from being deprived of something she loved. His hands worked skillfully, the rhythmic sounds bouncing off his humble home.

Then the door opened...

He knew it was his sister. He could feel her. Even as she attempted to sneak past him. He stopped. Maybe Karim was right...

"Mana..."

Mana paused, halfway up the steps to her room. "Brother..." She hesitated. But it was now or never. The truth just revealed itself to her. And she could not afford to wait any longer for it to be shared with her brother. "I have to tell you something..."

"I need to speak with you too, little sis..."

Mana nodded. Mahaad nodded. Both taking deep breaths.

"I don't want to fight dragons"

"I want you to fight dragons."

Both said it the same time. So both did not understand what the other was saying. They chuckled nervously.

"You go first..." Mahaad stated.

"No...no..." Mana said. "You go first..."

Mahaad sighed. "Alright then. You get your wish. Dragon training. It will start tomorrow at dawn..."

Mana's eyes went wide. "Aw man, I should have gone first. Cause you know, I was thinking, you know. We have a surplus of Dragon fighting magicians. But do we have enough...bread making magicians or small home repair magicians-" She was cut off when her brother handed her a staff.

"You'll need this..." Mahaad said casually.

Mana gulped. "I don't want to kill dragons, brother."

Mahaad chuckled. "Yes, you do."

"Rephrase. Brother, I CAN'T kill dragons."

"But you will kill dragons"

"But I really am extra sure that I won't"

Mahaad frowned. "It's time, Mana."

"Can you not hear me?"

"This is serious, Mana..."

Mana stopped. She recognized that tone. And it screamed 'NO ARGUMENTS TOLERATED'

Mahaad placed a hand on her shoulder. "When you carry this staff, you carry all of us with you... Which means you walk like us, talk like us, and think like us..No more..." He gestured at her. "This..."

"You just gestured to all of me..."

"Deal?" Mahaad stated, as though Mana had not even interjected.

"This conversation seems a little one-sided..."

"DEAL" Mahaad pressed, frowning at his sister's hesitance.

Mana sighed.

"Deal..."

Now, she's dead meat...

Mahaad sighed. "Good..." He picked up a sack. "I'll be gone for a while. But I'll be back...probably..."

"And I'll be here...maybe.." Mana added as her brother shut the door, leaving her alone.

…  
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ooooooo

...  
...

"WELCOME TO DRAGON TRAINING"

A grill door burst open. Karim entered, followed by Bakura, Seto, Teana, Honda, and Jono, chosen weapons in tow.

"No turning back..." Seto murmured as they all stepped into the cage. They watched in awe at their surroundings. The place they're in seemed to be the innards of a coliseum dug on the ground. Light entered through the thick bars that wove intricately above them, forming a ceiling for the cage-like structure.

"I hope I get some serious burns..." Jono stated excitedly.

"I'm hoping for some bruises.." Honda pipped. "Like on the shoulders or on the lower back..."

Bakura huffed. "It's only fun when you get a scrap at it..."

"No kidding right..."

They all turned around. Mana stood there, looking as glum as ever. "Pain...yup...whatever..."

"Oh great..." Bakura grunted. "Who let the little girl in?"

"ALRIGHT...LET'S GET STARTED.."

They focused their attention on Karim. "As there are many types of dragons," He stopped in front of them. "There are many types of Magicians as well." He cleared his throat and resumed his pacing. "But unlike dragons, we can choose which and how many types we are to specialize in" He began surveying the recruits. "Some of you have chosen to be Wizards" In response, Jono puffed his chest out. "Some aimed to be Warlocks." He turned to Honda. "Others plan to be Mancers" He spared a glance at Teana and Bakura. "Some are...simply following in the Great One's first step as an Illusionist" He turned to Mana. "And some gifted ones are already Sorcerers in training." He eyed Seto. He shrugged and pulled back. "But whether you are a Wizard or a Seer, novice or master..." He gave them all a knowing look. "All Magicians must be trained to kill Dragons. And that's where Dragon Training becomes real important." He paused to give them a serious look as he gestured around. "The recruit who does the best job will win the honor of killing his or her first dragon in front of the entire village."

"Mana already killed a Winged Dragon." Bakura said mockingly, being egged on by Honda and Jono's snickers. "So does that disqualify her?..." They all laughed, walking away and murmuring about the impossibility of such a statement in the first place.

"Don't let them get to you, Mana..." Karim said, patting Mana on the shoulder. "You are small and weak. That will not make you much of a target. They'll see you as something...ya know and then they will say 'ne...let's go after the more warrior magician like instead'..."

They followed where the others were heading, which was not far. And soon, they stopped, facing rows of grumbling and shuddering cells.

"Alright, everyone..." Karim said. "Behind these doors are just a few of the many species of dragons you will be fighting." There was a powerful growl coming from one of the cells. "The Grey Wing..."

"Level Three. Wind attribute" Honda whispered.

"Black Landfire"

"Level four. Dark attribute."

"Luster"

"Level four. Light attribute"

"Koumori"

"Level four. Dark attribute"

"Blizzard."

"Level four. Water attribute"

"Armed"

"Starts at level three then goes to level seven. Wind attribute"

"and the Blue Eyes..."

"Level eight. Light att- "

"WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT..."

After recovering from his outburst, Karim chuckled, holding onto the lock of the door.

"WAIT" Teana yelled. "Aren't you going to teach us first?"

Karim smirk. "What better way to learn than by..." He opened the door, allowing a Grey Wing to swoop out. "Experience..."

Everyone ran in separate directions as the Grey Wing swooped on them

"The lesson for today would be about survival..."

Seto jumped just in time as the dragon crashed right into the wall he was previously standing in front of.

"If you get blasted, you die. Quick, what's the first thing you need..."

"Um our lives?"

"A spear..."

"A shield.." Seto said, eying the dragon readily.

"Good." Karim called. And it was not long before everyone scampered for their shields. "The shield is more practical than casting barrier spells. It saves energy that you should use in going for the kill" Seeing that Mana was having trouble lifting up the shield, Karim helped her.

"Get your own.." Jono hissed as he and Honda made a grab for the same shield.

"There are a million shields here..." Honda reasoned. "Quit taking mine..."

"There's one over there. The one with the flowery design. You like flowers after all-" He was cut off when the shield was whacked onto his head.

"Oops.." Honda sneered. "Now this one has blood..." They were so busy arguing that they did not see the Gust Blast that was blown their way, shattering the shield, and sending them flying.

"Jono, Honda, You're out..."

"What?"

Karim ignored them. "Alright everyone, what is the best spell or charm that could bring this dragon down in a situation like this?"

"Tornado wall?"

"Stop attack?"

The dragon fired another attack, smashing Bakura's shield to bits.

"Bakura, You're out..."

"Mirror Force"

"Atta boy, Seto" Karim cheered as the protege cast the said charm, sending the dragon's attack right back at it. But the Grey Wing was quick. It dodged the redirected attack.

Amidst all the fighting, Mana was hiding behind one of the fallen pieces of wood. But as she inched to escape the blasts, she inched out of her hiding place as well.

"MANA LOOK OUT"

She didn't have time to react. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, the dragon right above her. It opened its mouth, ready for an attack. However, a powerful blast shot out from the sidelines, blasting the dragon right back into its cell. With ragged breathing, Mana watched as Karim replaced the lock.

"It's alright everyone. You'll get your chance another time..." He said. "And always remember..." He turned to Mana. "Dragons will always go for the kill..."

And with that they left, heading for home. Mana couldn't help but ponder on what Karim had said. Do all dragons go for the kill? Her thoughts returned to the elusive Winged Dragon.

_...But why didn't you?..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 4**

Mana stared at the ropes in her hand. Or rather, what was left of those ropes. On the previous day, these ropes ensnared a dragon. And it might be around here somewhere, that was, if it didn't fly off. But somehow, she couldn't shake the thought that the Dragon might still be here. It had only been a day after all.

With a deep breath, she followed the path she had seen the freed Dragon fly to. The trail led her to what seemed to be an enclosed oasis. Shrubs were everywhere, surrounding a small pond. She scanned the area but there were no signs of the Dragon. "Well, this was a pleasant waste of time..." She turned to move back just in time for a golden being to swoop up from beneath her, knocking her off her feet.

The dragon's hark pierced the air as it struggled to fly. Mana sighed in relief. The dragon had not seen her. Being as quiet as possible, she peeked out from her hiding place, watching as the dragon fell back down the hard ground. Taking out a scroll and a reed, she began sketching the mighty beast, at the same time, wondering why it would not fly away.

That was when she saw it. The winglet protruding from the side of its right knee was gone

Then something unexpected happened. Mana watched as the dragon looked around. To her surprise, there was a bright spark and then the dragon was gone. In its place, a young man.

Her mouth dropped open. He was no doubt good looking. His skin was a beautiful bronze, much like hers. His angled face serious and confident. His hair was unusual. Ebony black spikes, rimmed with magenta shot out of his head like the rays of the sun. lightning blond bangs framed his face, a few sticking out.

And what made him even more unusual and beautiful was the wings. Ebony black feathers. Magenta at the ends. It even had gold whip-like cords flaring out of its roots, matching his hair perfectly.

The tunic that he wore was by no means humble. Jewelry adorned him. Much like one of royal status. She could not help but stare at him. He resembled a god.

_...How?...what?..._ She just could not believe it..._ Big Brother never mentioned anything about this... This is really big... I- _In her excitement, she leaned forward. And by the hand of fate and clumsiness, she dropped her reed.

She froze, mouth agape as the reed fell with a soft splash on the pond. To her horror, the winged man did not miss it. Whipping around like a startled cat, the young man followed the source of the reed, eventually landing his eyes on her.

She could feel her breath hitch. Those eyes, a gallant mix of crimson and amethyst seemed to look into her soul.

…

…

ooooooo

…

...

"Alright, where did Honda and Jono go wrong in the ring today?"

"Picking shields..."

Gathered within the chamber hall of the village, Karim and his students were settled on a table, pouring over what had happened on the ring. Without much of a noise, Mana slid past the half open door and made her way towards her fellows.

Karim shifted. "One wrong move could be fatal you know." Seeing that Mana had arrived, he straightened up. "And where did Mana go wrong?"

"Um...she showed up?"

"She didn't get eaten..." Bakura teased, nudging her as she passed.

"She's never where she should be..."

"Thank you, Seto." Karim said. He took out a book. "And this..." He placed it on the table. "You need to live and breathe this stuff...the Dragon Tome. Everything we know of every dragon we know of." Thunder roared above them, making him sigh as he straightened up. "No attacks tonight. So carry on..." He added as he left.

"Wait a minute..." Jono blurted. "You mean read?"

"Why read the words that tell you stuff about the stuff you are going to kill?" Bakura reasoned, outraged. He sighed and stood up. "You guys read. And I'll go out and kill some dragons..."

"We're coming with..."

And so, Mana was left alone with Teana and Seto. "So... I guess it's just us then..."

"Already read it..." Teana and Seto said in unison as they stood up and left.

"Oh, all mine then..." Mana said as she took the book. She sighed and opened it, turning the first gnarly page. "Dragon attributions." She read. "Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Light, Dark..." She turned another page. An illustration of a red dragon greeted her. "Kiryu. This reclusive dragon hides in the cliff caves. It shoots out red beams of light that can cut through anything. Kills on sight" She turned another page. "Pitch Dark. This dragon thrives in the night. It fires dark shadow balls that obliterates its victims before they could even see it coming. Kills on sight" Another page. "Grey Wing. Though it has a weak attack power, it moves so fast that it could make itself appear double. Kills on sight. Golem. Causes earthquakes with one slam of its tail. Kills on sight." Another gnarly page. "Tyrant. Fires burning lava at its victims. Kills on sight." She turned many pages. Images of many dragons flickered by. The Black Skull, Dark Blaze, Dark Fire, Gandora, Koumori, Luster, Phantom Seiyaryu, Serpent Night, Tri Horned, White Night, Blizzard, and the Twin Headed Behemoth were just among the few. "Buries its victims, chokes its victims, drowns its victims, eats its victims, melts its victims, burns its victims, turns its victims inside out."

She turned one more page. This one was blank except for a few words,with a heading that read...

"The Winged Dragon of Ra" She murmured, glancing down to read the rest of the writings. "Size unknown. Speed unknown. the offspring of the gods. Bearer of fire and death. Never engage this dragon. Lose all hope when you do. And pray that it will never find you." With a deep breath, she reached into her rucksack, pulling out the drawing she made earlier that day.

…

…

ooooooo

…

...

A fog clouded over the vast sea, stirring slightly when ships passed. No sound was made. Not even a single bird call.

"I can almost smell them..." Mahaad said, looking over the map in his hands. "the devils are in this area. I just know it..." He looked up. "Take us in..." They vanished into the fog, not noticing the silhouette of a dragon eying them from the shadows

…

…

ooooooo

…

...

"I see that you've got a lot of dragons listed..."

_Crash_

"But there seems to be nothing on Winged Dragons..."

_Burn_

"Is there like a sequel or a Winged Dragon pamphlet or something?"

_ROOOOOOOOAAAAAR_

"MANA"

The call made her jump back to her current reality, just in time for her to dodge a blast of white light from their current opponent – a ticked off Black Landfire

"Focus, Mana..." Karim scolded. "You're not even trying..." He breathed as he watched Mahaad's younger sister scamper through the mazes. "Today is about..."

The dragon roared as it swiped at the blocks of labyrinthine walls.

"ATTACK"

The young recruits scampered in many directions, doing what they could to avoid the dark dragon hot on their tails.

"Black Landfires are fast and light on their feet."

Teana gulped as the dragon caught sight of her.

"Your job is to be quicker and lighter..."

She rolled off to the side, just in time to dodge a powerful blast of fire that bore a hole through the three foot thick wood. She shot Karim a manic look. "WHAT KIND OF TEACHER ARE YOU?"

Karim, looking unfazed by the whole ordeal, rested his chin on his palm. "However, it has a weakness. Every dragon has one... Find it and use it to your advantage."

Jono and Honda skidded against corners, stopping just in time when the dragon landed right in front of them.

But for some reason, it could not see where they were...

"Black Landfires may be quick." Karim explained. "But they have poor eyesight."

Jono and Honda took that as their cue. They compressed against each other, silence between them. That was until Honda began gagging. "Sheesh, do you ever bathe?" He hissed

"If you don't like it, then just get your own weak spot..." Jono argued, shoving Honda away

"How bout I-" They were cut off when the dragon snapped, sending them running down another path.

Karim sighed. "Poor eyesight, yes. Poor hearing? not so much..."

…

…

ooooooo

…

...

Bakura, Teana, Seto, and Mana were skidding through the battle field. But upon catching sight of Karim, Mana paused. "So...how would one sneak up on a Winged Dragon?"

"No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale..." Came the rushed reply. "NOW GET IN THERE"

"I know I know...but hypothetically..." She turned to her right, nodding slightly when Seto gestured at her.

"Get down..." Seto hissed. He quietly peered behind his hiding spot, ducking ever so slightly when the dragon came into view, growling and snarling its frustration. With a deep breath he rolled to the other side, followed by Bakura, Teana, and Mana, who so unfortunately was pulled down by the weight of her shield.

The dragon snapped up upon seeing Mana and went for the kill. Mana scampered onto her feet and made a run for it. The dragon growled, leaping to another corner. Thinking that she was safe, Mana refocused her gaze on Karim."Has anyone ever seen one dragon...change in anyway?" She continued, even when Teana and Bakura skidded past her.

"MANA"

She turned around just in time to see Seto jumping amidst the blocks, the dragon snapping its jaws at his heels. Frozen by sheer shock, she could only watch as Seto landed on top of her, his sword piercing her shield and the ground next to her head

"Move it." Seto growled urgently as he tried to pull his sword from Mana.

"It's stuck." Mana whimpered.

The dragon's roar rang behind them. Luckily, Seto managed to pull the sword from the ground, though the shield was still stuck to it. But nevertheless, he swung it hard towards the dragon. The beast let out a pained roar as it was hit at the side of the head. It staggered back into its dark cell, leaving the young recruits to stand in the midst of a rubble infested field.

"Well done, Seto"

Ignoring the comment, Seto turned to Mana. "I knew you were pathetic from the start. But this? This is beyond sorry." He turned around. "Sometimes I wonder what that brother of yours teaches you..." With that he walked away, leaving a dazed Mana on the ground, pondering on what just happened.

* * *

**AN:**  
– A Winglet is a part of a plane. Found at the tip of the wings, its function is to decrease the drag.  
– The Winged Dragon of Ra seems to have winglets as well, located at its knees and elbows. I have provided a link leading to a model of the Winged Dragon of Ra I found that shows the winglets clearly. It is under Some Sources/Yu-Gi-Oh! Feel free to check it out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 5**

The Valley was quiet. No birds, no rustling leaves, and no slight breeze. The small pond was still, not a single ripple marring its mirror surface. It was silent. To the point that the small thud of wood against stone was amplified.

Mana sighed. Her shield was stuck between the rocks. With a fresh fish in hand, she got down and crawled through the tiny space underneath the lodged wood. She straightened up, cautious, wary, and armed with fish meat. Taking one careful step after the other, she went deeper and deeper into the enclosed oasis. Her eyes were narrowed, taking in every detail of her surroundings, trying to locate the thing she came for...

"Am I supposed to eat that?"

She jumped and spun around, her eyes widening upon the sight that met her.

The dragon-turned-winged-man was looking at her, arms folded, legs crossed as he sat on the large boulder. Mana watched, mouth agape as he stood up, ruffled his wings, and gracefully jumped, landing in front of her without so much as a sound.

For some reason, she couldn't speak. Her breath seemed to have been knocked out of her. This was just unbelievable. She was speaking to a dragon. A dragon that turned human – with wings – right before her very eyes. And he could talk. When she came to, she was backed against the wall, clutching the fish like it was a precious pet, and the dragon man was mere inches from her, staring into her eyes.

"You...talk..." She gasped, the words harder to release than she thought.

The dragon sighed and shook his head. "Of course I do... You think I just roar and blast things all the time?"

Mana blinked, her trembling and fear slowly dissipating. She allowed her eyes to linger on him, focusing on his wings. "Why didn't you fly away?"

He looked away and stepped back, ruffling his wings. "I can't..."

That got her curious. "Why not?"

He gazed at her. "You saw something you were not supposed to see...And I cannot leave until I fix that"

Before she could react, he lunged. A yelp came forth from her lips as her back hit solid stone, shoulders pinned to it by a strong yet elegant hand. Her heart thundered as those crimson amethyst eyes glared into her own emerald ones. She closed her eyes and shrank back. This was it. This was probably where he will rip out her throat. She stayed still, praying for whatever killing blow to be a quick end.

But nothing came.

She opened one eye. Sensing the come and gone of danger, she opened the other eye and relaxed...slightly. He was looking away from her, one hand on her shoulder and the other limply by his side

"I can't..." He let her go and trudged through the soft grass. He slumped down near the pond's edge, burying his face in his hands. "I can't do it..." His wings compressed around him, as though trying to lock him in a cocoon.

Despite her fear, Mana approached the dragon, keeping her eyes glued to his non-dragonic form as she sat right next to him. And by the forces of all things she would never understand, she reached out, her hand hovering right near his lustrous feathers before said feathers parted to reveal his apprehensive face. She pulled her hand back and watched as he flew to the other side.

The dragon landed gracefully and curled up on the ground. That made her wonder why he had so much of a problem trying to fly away the day she first saw him down here. Carefully, she crossed the pond, nearing him with such silence that rivaled a stalking feline. She stopped and sat down, one meter away from him.

He looked up, gave her a scowl, and covered himself with his wings.

"Why didn't you do it?"

She looked up. He was staring at her, eyes big in an almost adorable fashion. With hands locked upon her lap, she looked down. "Because...I can't..." She looked up slowly... "Like you...I guess..."

He shifted, wings flapping slightly. "Well...I guess we have something in common." He chuckled. "I never expected to have something in common with a magician..."

Mana chuckled nervously. "I never expected that too..." She cleared her throat uncertainly. "In fact...I never expected all...of this..." She rubbed the back of her head. "I never thought it was possible for you guys to be...you know..."

The dragon smirked weakly. "You never thought a lot of things..."

There was silence for a while...until...

"You can get out of here you know... That back up set of wings you got there doesn't look broken...like your...other one"

He looked up, eyes focused on Mana. Sighing, he sat up, stretching his wings ever so slightly "It's not that simple..."

Mana frowned. "How so?"

The dragon spared her a glance. "What makes you think I will tell you?"

Mana shrugged. "I don't know...maybe the fact that you guys steal our food all the time?" And with that, her interest shifted to a small leaf floating upon the pond's surface. However, she expected him to pounce, to be offended with her words and start defending his race.

But to her surprise, he didn't...

"I can't be seen by anyone like this..."

She looked up, hoping that the dragon would continue. Perhaps knowing more about their kind would help with their problems. But from what she could tell, he was having a hard time trying to get it all out. With a deep breath, she egged on. "Why?"

The dragon spared her a glance before looking away. "I think I've told you enough..."

Mana watched in frustration as he flew off once again, and this time, settled atop a boulder. "The only thing you told me was the obvious..." She reasoned irritably, pouting when he just ignored her._...Okay...real helpful..._

…

…

ooooooo

…

...

It was getting dark now. The warm of the region was soon replaced by its signature cold. The wind gushed mercilessly, slamming into the curled up, cocooned form of the dragon. He shivered and curled up even tighter. As much as he wanted to go, he could not. Not when a magician saw him as a Ba. He could endanger the rest of his kind...more-so than now. Sure he could just silence her forever. But that's where the other problem was. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to kill her. And it frustrated him to no end. As much as he hated to admit it, he was defenseless, cornered, helpless.

And hungry...

His stomach grumbled. He hasn't eaten since the annual raid. With a moan, he placed his hand over it, closing his eyes and praying that it would leave him alone.

But for some reason, the entire universe wanted him to focus on it.

Something wafted into the air, accompanied by the slight cackle of flames. Whatever it was, it toyed with him, made him yearn to have whatever source of that delicious smell be in his mouth. With slight hesitance, he looked up. It was that young magician again. And she was huddled close to a small campfire. In her hands was a stick piercing that fish she had been holding._...curse her and her stupid fish..._. He ruffled his wings and curled up tighter, determined to ignore the temptation of warm food and warmth...

But even he has his limits...

The flapping of wings snapped her out of her peaceful trance. She turned around, fighting back a triumphant smirk upon seeing the dragon standing behind her._...a man is still a man, no matter what __race..._

The dragon shifted uncomfortably, as though fighting an inner battle. He swallowed, doing what he could to avoid the strong urge for contentment.

"You're welcome to join me..."

He looked up, fighting back the urge to cock his head to the side. The magician was looking at him, patting the ground that was right next to her. He swallowed ambiguously. Just seeing her like that made all regret and uncertainty he had upon sparing her vanish. With a deep breath, he neared the girl, making sure his eyes didn't leave those emerald orbs.

Mana smiled as the dragon sat down – rather apprehensively – next to her. She turned her attention back to the small fire she had created, making sure that her cooking wouldn't get overdone...

For a while, they just sat there, basking in the fire's warmth. No conversations, no glancing around. They just sat there as though the other was not within their presence...

That was, until Mana decided to stop all pretenses. She turned to face her new companion. She smiled. The dragon had his eyes closed in ecstasy. His wings were comfortably folded, slightly reflecting the light of flames. Turning away from such an adorable sight, she picked up the now cooked fish, breathing in the delectable aroma that made her mouth water. She turned to her companion. "Here. This is for you..." she said, handing the fish when the dragon turned to look at her.

He seemed hesitant. But the grumble of his stomach urged him to take the offer. The playful giggle from the magician proved that his hunger did not go unnoticed. He blushed. Slowly, he reached out, taking the stick with great caution. The fish looked great, just perfect. But he just couldn't bring himself to feast on it.

"Relax...I didn't do anything to it..."

He chanced a glance at her, assessing her innocent face for anything that might seem sinister. However, he found none. He opened his mouth and took a bite, quietly purring from the pleasure of the fish's juicy taste.

All that, Mana watched. She couldn't help herself. The dragon. It looked so human now, not counting the wings of course. Everything she had been taught of, everything she had learned. All those seemed to become worthless with each ticking minute she spent time with this particular dragon. She looked down, building up the courage to start a conversation. Talking with him should help. She would learn why they kept on stealing their food, why they attack their village, and how he could even appear as he was as of the moment. She cleared her throat, such a simple act costing her all confidence she had. The man's piercing eyes. She could feel them boring into her without even the need to look up. Taking a deep breath, she began... "So...can all dragons do...this or...is it just you Winged Dragons..."

There was a rustle in his place. But she still did not look up.

"Yes... All of us can do... this..."

Twiddling her fingers, she continued. "So...why can't you fly away?"

Silence...

Mana sighed, mentally slapping herself._...I just had to-..._

"I can't be seen by anyone like this..."

She looked up. "You-" But the words died on her tongue.

Grief clearly emanated from the dragon. His head was bowed, shoulders slouched, wings drooped, and face set in pure hopelessness. Slowly, he looked up. His eyes were glimmering with hidden tears as he spoke. "It is our code..." He took a deep and shuddering breath. "...never to be seen in our Ba" he looked at her. "...and kill those who found out..." He shook his head and once again, buried his face in his trembling hands. "But I just can't do it... I can't kill you... Not after what you did. Or rather, what you didn't do..."

Mana's eyes widened. "Oh..." She took a deep breath... "You don't have to worry much then..." Slowly, she raised her hand. "I won't tell anyone of your secret." she reached forward, mindful of the situation. "You can trust me..."

Her hand was hovering in the air for what seemed like ages. The dragon looked apprehensive, releasing a low growl at how close they were from touching. But all that soon subsided. He stopped growling. He lost that apprehensive glare. Slowly, he too raised his hand...

And rested his palm on the magician's...

Whatever tension was in the air, it vanished along with all the pressure and uncertainty. A dragon and a magician touched, in a way that didn't involve violence...

Mana's form slackened with relief. Such a simple motion took so much energy to implement. "Well, dragon..." She took a deep breath. "This seems to be the beginning of a new...and completely awkward...friendship..."

The dragon chuckled. "You can say that again, magician..."

She smiled. "My name is Mana by the way..."

The dragon looked at her. For a while, he was silent. Until...

"You can call me Atemu"

* * *

**AN  
**- A Ba is pictured as a bird-like creature with a human head. Picturing Atemu's Ba as that is kinda funny so I changed it a bit. Instead of a bird body and human head, it is a human body and head with bird wings.

- I drew a poster for this fic. I posted it on my deviantart account. The link is on my profile. Feel free to check it out. Tell me what you think of it and this chappie of course. ^^

- Also, to those who read Warrior Priestess, I drew a poster for it too. Same place.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
Chapter 6**

It was dark at night...

"And here I thought I didn't have to do all the lecturing..."

The wind was cold, chilling to the bone

"Well... Other than Seto and apparently Honda, all of you really need to be reoriented with the magician side of the deal...""

A campfire, the sole source of their warmth, burned, cackled, as it lapped up some pierced gazelle meat, turning pinkish, juicy flesh into soft, browned chunks with a smell that made many stomachs grumble. Gathered around it was Karim and his promising students, two of whom were arguing.

"Listen up and listen good" Karim barked, putting an end to Honda and Jono's insistent arguing. "All of you..." He added, noting that the remaining students had their attentions elsewhere. "As I have said before, there are many types of magicians." He began, checking to see if their meat was getting burned. "Under level one are the Active types - the Wizard, Enchantress, Shaman, and Mancer – a nd then the Passive types – the Witch, Warlock, Illusionist, Caster, Oracle, and Seer." He threw another piece of wood at the fire. "Everyone starts at any of those formerly mentioned. And they can stay that way, improving their skills for that type they have chosen or they can pick up a few skills from other types" He smirked. "But to the more ambitious ones, they go for mastering more than one type. And that's where the level two comes in – the Sage, the Sorcerer, the Sorceress, and the Master Mancer. The Sage is a master of all the Passive arts while the Sorcerer and Sorceress are the masters of all Active arts." He gave Seto a proud look. "Which type do you lack to become a fully fledged Sorcerer, Seto?"

Seto gave Karim an emotionless gaze. "Mancing..."

Karim chuckled as he leaned back. "Ah..." He smiled. "The art of attribute manipulation." He smiled. "But you should be proud of yourself, Seto. You are the second teenager to have reached this high a level. The first one was Mahaad himself back in his teen years."

Getting rather miffed that Seto was being praised, Jono blurted out. "So, what's the Master Mancer all about?"

Karim chuckled "Oh yeah... the Master Mancer." He turned to Teana and Bakura. "As you should know, Mancers are divided into six attribute experts – water, earth, wind, fire, light, and dark. So the Master Mancer is a Mancer of all attributes" He sighed and looked up. "And then there's the highest level, level three – the Master Magician, master of all magical types and arts. In all the years this village has existed, only one Magician has earned that title." He turned to Mana. "The Chief Magician of our village, Mahaad" Seeing that she remained unmoving, he frowned. "Mana?"

Mana hardly listened to anything going on around her. She was just too focused on that dragon. The one who called himself Atemu.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

She jerked up, meeting the stares of Karim and her fellow students. She smiled sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. "Um sorry, kinda got zoned out there..." She blinked innocently. "What were you saying?"

Everyone almost deadpanned...

"Anyway..." Karim continued, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "I've pretty much told you the basics." Seeing that their food was ready, he got the kabobs and handed one for everybody, except for Bakura who already had a raw share. "Please do not make me repeat it. It is pretty much a mouthful."

"Ay..." Jono said before attacking his share of meat.

"Can't wait till I get my hands on a dragon..." Bakura said as he took a huge chunk out of his undercooked, and still bloody piece of meat. "It's gonna be the first unlucky victim of the newest spell I've learned."

"Do tell..." Honda said.

Bakura smirked as he clenched his fist. "I recently learned how to control the shadows. Once I sic 'em on a dragon, I'll have that dragon's arms and legs ripped off like it was nothing"

"No..." Karim chuckled, taking a bite out of his meal with such poise one would not expect from him.

"It's the wings, tails, and winglets you would want to go after... If it can't fly, it can't get away."

Mana's eyes widened, though no one noticed. She should have realized it sooner.

"...a downed dragon... is a dead dragon..."

Seto spun around, just in time to see Mana bolting down the steps, disappearing into the darkness.

…

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ooooooo

…

...

Fire blazed to life in the weapons hut, chasing away the cold wind that trespassed. Reaching into her dainty cloak, Mana pulled out her sketch of Atemu in his dragon form, focusing on the missing winglet, and attempting to visualize what would be the results. She ruffled through the cupboards and shelves for the needed materials. Shards of metal, rolls of leather. Everything she would need for what she was about to do. She was going to give the dragon back what she took away. That was going to be her ultimate task...

The buzz of magic sounded. Hot iron whizzed as it was molded. And red hot metal hissed as it was dipped in cold water. This was it. It was finally done. Mana smirked as she eyed her work. She wrapped it in her cloak, excited to try it out on her new-found friend.

…

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ooooooo

…

...

"You want me to what?"

"I want you to just go back to that dragon form of yours and close your eyes..."

Atemu growled, wings flared defensively, and stance poised, ready to counter any unsuspecting attack. He watched as she took another step closer. With a stubborn growl, he flew off to the other side, ignoring the string of protests that tailgated him.

"Aw c'mon" Mana whined, slumping her shoulders in frustration. "I'm trying to help you." she added as she crossed the pond.

Atemu snorted. "Help me? How can I trust you. You won't even tell me what you're planning" he turned away from her.

Mana sighed, blowing a stray bang that had slapped her face. With a scowl, she slumped to the ground and pulled her contraption for him to see. "I made this... To help your...dragon form fly..." she gulped. "...you know, because you are worried that flying in that form of yours would attract attention. So I thought maybe, you can fly away in your dragon form"

Wings parting to reveal his disbelieving face, Atemu allowed his fierce eyes to study the strange contraption in the magician's hands. It looked like a flat stone, chipped and shaped like a small, outstretched wing. He tilted his head to the side, as though trying to comprehend the thing at a different angle. "And that would help me...how?"

Mana sighed. "Will you just turn back into a Winged Dragon and trust me?"

Atemu eyed her for a few seconds before sighing. "Why are you trying to help me? You know as well as I do that each of our kind hate the other. So...why?"

Mana looked down. "I don't know..." she sighed and looked up. "Will you just turn into that Winged Dragon already..."

Atemu regarded her for a minute before cocooning himself with his wings. There was a second's spark. The feathers of ebony and magenta seemed to melt onto gold. The wings parted, revealing the stunning golden dragon her people were yet to see. Seeing the magician gaping at him, he tilted his Phoenix-like head. "Care to return to the here and now, magician?"

Mana shook her head, snapping out of that weird trance. "Sorry..." she paused. Then stared wide eyed at him. "You just talked"

Atemu rolled his eyes, despite the fact that he didn't have pupils as of the moment. "I think we already established that" he said smoothly as he made his way towards her on all fours. All of the sudden, he tensed and growled, the golden armor all over him standing up on end like how a ticked off kitty's would.

Mana quirked a brow and followed his gaze, stopping when she met what she assumed to be the source of her dragon friend's distress – an innocent little Jerboa feasting on a stalk of grass. "There's nothing to worry about, Atemu. It's not going to hurt you" She picked up the little rodent and held it out, only to watch with surprise as the ferocious looking griffin/dragon reared up in fear when the little mouse like thing tried to jump for escape. "Relax" She smirked. "Never knew your kind even had a phobia to begin with..."

Atemu growled indignantly. He turned his back on her, slumping on the ground

"Okay then..." Mana said, gathering up the courage as she approached him. Slowly, she began fitting the winglet over the devoid area.

Atemu tensed. Something raced through his spine, filling a large void. He couldn't explain it, but he felt whole. Unconsciously, he unfurled his wings.

Mana smiled as she secured her contraption. "It fit-" She was cut off when Atemu suddenly flew upwards. Clutching his leg for dear life, she noticed that the piece of metal that served as a replacement remained in the same straight position while the little winglets on the arms and the other leg had swept back, ultimately the cause of their sudden fall from their flight. But before they could hit the ground, Mana grabbed the winglet and forced it to lean back like its fellows. There was a windy whoosh and they were spared from the fall as Atemu soared straight in his dragon form.

"IT'S WORKING" She screeched excitedly, tilting the winglet as Atemu made a turn. "IT IS WORKING"

With a triumphant hark, Atemu flew. He had never been this happy.

"YES YES I DID IT. I DID IT"

He looked down between his forearms, the delight vanishing from his face as he watched Mana dangling from his tail. With a smirk, he made a sudden turn, throwing her off. He laughed as he heard the splash. But the laugh was soon replaced by a yelp as he spun clumsily, landing in the water himself.

…

…

ooooooo

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...

"Today is about teamwork."

A blinding, prismatic light came forth from an open cell, making the promising magicians shield their eyes, sightless to the beast that used the glare as its camouflage.

"Now as you can see, the Luster Dragon uses its shimmering body to reflect the sunlight, effectively blinding those who try to find it"

The students paired up, watching their respective partner's backs despite the fact that the glare was making them shield their eyes. In their hands was a black cloak, designed to counter the Luster's ability.

"Your job is to locate the main shard that releases the light. No two Lusters have the same location of that shard."

A screechy growl gurgled through the blinding light, forcing them to compress together.

"Sapphire hard skin and teeth..." Honda whispered, his eyes struggling behind closed lids. "Can-"

"Will you cut that out!" Mana hissed from behind him

Everyone was moving in a cautious circle, keeping their backs glued to their partners as they tried to locate the beast without utilizing their eyes.

"If that dragon shows itself..." Bakura growled. "I'm gonna-THERE" Just as quick as he saw the silhouette, he threw the cloak, smothering a very annoyed Teana

"It's us, idiots..." Teana snapped, throwing the cloak back at Bakura.

Bakura huffed. "Stay out of my way-" He was cut off when something dragged him deep into the light.

Teana went to charge in. But Seto stopped her. "Wait..." He whispered. There was a sudden whoosh. A glimmering tail swiped underneath their legs, making them land hard on the ground. As they got up, they watched in mild interest as Bakura zoomed passed them, hitting the opposite wall hard.

"Chances of survival are dwindling to single digits now..." Honda said shakily

It was then a sparkling head revealed itself with an open maw. Honda squeaked, backing away slightly as the dragon growled in front of him. Out of instinct, he threw the enchanted cloak. Despite the fact that the dragon was right in front of him, he missed. "Oops..." The dragon roared and released a powerful blast, missing Honda by just a hair's breadth.

"HONDA" Karim yelled, trying to catch up as the young student made a mad attempt at escape. Seeing that Mana was just within range of the beast, he roared. "NOW MANA"

Mana threw the enchanted cloak with all her might. Unfortunately, it missed as well. "Aw, c'mon" she whined as the dragon loomed over her. But she was not exactly unarmed. Ambiguously, she began murmuring a spell, conjuring something that made the dragon's eyes go wide with fear

"MANA"

Something unexpected happened. The dragon. It seemed to be frightened...of Mana. Karim and the others watched in awe as the beast backed away as Mana cautiously neared it, hands outstretched.

"BACK" She scolded. "BACK. Now don't make me tell you again...That's right, back into your cage." With the beast inside and her back turned to the others, she made the Jerboa illusion disappear. "Now think about what you've done." She closed the large doors. Turning around, she was met with the stunned faces of Karim and her fellow students. "Okay..." She said sheepishly, rubbing her hands together. "So, are we done? cause I still have some stuff to do..."

And so she left, leaving them shocked and frozen at what she just did...


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magician and Dragons  
****Chapter 7**

Having used some of the malleable magic compounds, simple leather, and a few bolts, Mana emerged, holding a leather crafted saddle for her currently mortified dragon friend to see.

"You can't be serious..." Atemu said in shock, backing away as Mana approached him.

"C'mon..." Mana said encouragingly. "I would need to know which tilt would go where before I could teach it to you..." She held out the saddle. "And the only way for me to know is if I would ride you."

Atemu sat down on all fours, his tail defensively raised, and his head slightly lowered. He looked at his hind leg, scowling at the replacement winglet. "My winglet is gonna grow back you know..."

"Yeah...but how long will it take for it to grow back?"

He sighed. "A couple of months at least..."

"Aaaand"

Another sigh... But he still had his resolve. "But I'd rather be seen as a proud dragon than as a mount..."

Mana rolled her eyes. "Sure you will..." And without warning, she pounced. But Atemu was quick. He had skidded around her. "HEY GET BACK HERE" And the chase was on...

Mana launched herself in the air and successfully landed on Atemu's back. Atemu reared up in panic and began struggling to get her off. She watched with much amusement as all the armor plates covering his body stood on end again. Feeling herself about to fall, she slipped her fingers under the tender golden flesh now exposed, intending to hold on to the roots of the plates. Because of Atemu's constant struggling, she ended up slipping and rubbing the flesh underneath. She was surprised and amused as Atemu's leg began thumping the ground, seemingly enjoying the sensation. But the moment she touched the bottom of his jaw, he slumped down.

And so, Mana emerged as the victor, proudly perched on Atemu's armored back. She stared at her hands in wonder, keeping that certain info right at the top of her mind.

She had won the battle. But not the war. There was still the issue of getting her dragon friend to fly up. Leaning over to her friend's face, she began. "C'mon...do you really want to spend a lot of months here waiting for that stubborn plate to grow back or would you rather have me help you go home..." There was a defeated sigh.

It was official. She was now the victor. With a triumphant smirk, she strapped the saddle on and hooked some rope onto the artificial winglet for better control. After a test pull to check the response of the winglet, she let out a sigh and seated herself like a rider would to a horse. She gave the seething dragon a pat. "Okay...all set.."

The dragon jumped and spread his wings. They were up in the air in a blink But their flight was short spent. With one wrong pull to the winglet, they came crashing down once more. But at least she came out of it with a new tidbit in mind, which she did not hesitate to use on a young Koumori during the dragon training session.

The moment she dropped her weapon and outstretched her fingers, the dragon's expression had gone from ferocious to excited anticipation. It allowed her access to its neck. Hearing Seto's battle cry coming, she was quick with her work, letting the dragon enjoy itself before pulling the finishing touch.

Seto dropped his weapon, mouth agape as the dragon slumped down, half unconscious from whatever Mana did. He was literally knocked out of his shock when the other students ran passed him, gathering all over Mana

"Man, I've never seen a Koumori act like that."

"Girl, you were awesome..."

The only response Mana had to all the comments and the people surrounding her was a humble 'yeah thanks'. Seeing that they were far from the training grounds, Mana began backing away. "Um...I think I left my staff back in the ring..." She took off, not bothering to look back as she slipped passed the coliseum, heading for the weapons hut._...Okay then..._ She thought, unfurling a scroll. A skeletal sketch of Atemu's saddle greeted her. An idea struck. She grabbed some shards of metal and some bolts and started working.

And so began what would be her routine, her norm. She would head back to the weapons hut, come up with improvements for her contraption, go back to the Oasis, and wrestle Atemu to cooperate.

…

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ooooooo

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...

"AGAIN?"

"Don't worry, I have improved the controls." She said, holding out a pedal. "We won't come crashing down...much.."

"I get it now..."

Mana watched, brow quirking up as the magnificent Winged Dragon paced back in forth, tapping his temple with his claw. "I must be dreaming..." He concluded, ignoring how Mana's eyes rolled at that.

"The fall must have made a dent on my crystal. This must be nothing but a dream. A nightmare to be exact. Not only will I get help from a magician to fly. But I also end up having a RIDER on my BACK. I have said it once. And now I am saying it again. I AM NOT YOUR MOUNT"

He growled as Mana stood up. But he put up no struggle as she latched the winglet's control rope to the pedal she had strapped on Atemu's side. He even lowered himself to the ground so she could climb aboard. "You done?" He heard her ask. His only answer was a curt nod.

"So...are you ready?"

Another nod. And then they were off...shakily. But they managed to fly out of the oasis and into open air. Atemu smiled and let out a happy hark. With Mana's guidance, He dived back down, only to lose balance. Desperately, he spread his wings further. True, their fall was slowed down. But they still crashed nonetheless – on a field of Castor Weeds.

Mana staggered out breathless. But what she heard made her forget about the fact that her bones were aching. She turned around, stunned. Atemu was rolling over the weeds...purring!. She never knew dragons purred to begin with. She took a small amount of the plant in her hands.

Just being with Atemu, she was learning far more than the dragon training sessions she had been going to.

…

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ooooooo

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...

"MOVE"

Seto and the other recruits scattered as a powerful wave of snow iced the floor they were standing moments ago. They hid behind the rubble of the coliseum, taking in every move the Blizzard Dragon was making. He turned to his fellows, eyes widening as he noticed one was missing. "MA-" He stopped as he resumed his gaze up front, jaw dropping at the sight.

The ferocious Blizzard Dragon was slumped on the ground like a lazy cat. In front of it, waving something encased in a tight fist, was Mana.

"WAY TO GO MANA"

He fell face first to the floor as his fellow recruits raced towards their youngest comrade, surrounding her like a big time celebrity. And the commotion did not go unnoticed beyond the cage. News of Mana's successes have been spreading around the village like wildfire. Magicians began gathering around the battle field, watching in disbelief as the runt of their clan miraculously transformed into an unbeatable dragon tamer. Who knew?

Seto growled and slammed his fist on the ground before standing up and dusting himself. As he moved to make an exit, he bumped straight into Bakura.

"Did you see what that runt just did?" Bakura exclaimed.

Seto haughtily straightened his robes. "Who would miss it?" He glanced behind him, frowning as Mana now sat on Karim's broad shoulder, being praised by the many magicians who had gathered. "The little imp just got lucky..." With that he stomped past Bakura.

…

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...

"Would it kill you to loosen up?"

Seto growled and pulled his arm away from Teana's grasp. "I've subdued more dragons than that pathetic maggot. How can they treat her like that after a few lucky wins?"

Teana sighed as she folded her arms. "Well, considering the fact that everyone thought she was going to be a failure, it was no surprise that everyone got head over heels over her success" She smiled serenely. "Cheer up, cuz." She stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Everyone already knows you're the best. That's why they don't act so surprised when you pull off a win."

Seto smirked. Teana took that as a sign he was alright. So she backed away a bit. "Gotta go. I promised Karim that I'd help around in the weapons hut."

Eyebrow rising, Seto had to ask. "Isn't that Mana's job?"

Teana smiled. "He gave her the day off." With that she left, leaving Seto to sit on a boulder. He gazed at his open palm and smirked, clenching it into a fist as he recalled his cousin's words. Teana definitely knew how to make him feel better.

_Snap!_

He jolted up and looked around. His eyes widened as his gaze met Mana's startled eyes meters away. But before he could recover, Mana resumed her pace, going deeper into the woods while carrying something covered in linen. His suspicion sense was tingling. He stood up and moved to follow her. But he lost sight of her upon turning a corner. With a frustrated growl, he turned back. Something was definitely going on. And he intended to find out what it was.

…

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...

"Okay." Mana said as she straightened up, wiping her brow. She returned her gaze onto a piece of parchment in front of her. "Full extension of the ankle against the pedal..." She did just that. She turned to look at the winglet, smiling as it stood on a certain angle.

Atemu took that as his cue and jumped up, gliding against the coastal wind that blew against them. However, they were going nowhere thanks to a rope tied around his torso and latched onto a large boulder. He stretched his wings fully, smiling as he did not go out of balance.

Mana nodded and took a note of that angle on her parchment. "Partial flexion on the pedal." She announced, flexing her ankle in a forty five degree angle. "Try turning left, Atemu"

Atemu rolled his eyes but did as told. He turned left like he always did, harking happily as they glided in the said direction smoothly. "Impressive." He said, looking at her. "You would make a great Navigator. Come up with good flight patterns and all sorts of strategies that would be useful"

Mana nodded to all that, not fazed or surprised whatsoever. That was until a couple of minutes had passed...

"Wait.." She blurted out, straightening up so suddenly as she looked at the dragon. "Do you mean as a magician? Because we do not have flight patterns...unless you were re-" In her distraction, she pushed the pedal in an unsteady angle that sent them reeling to the right. The tension had snapped the rope, sending them tumbling through the trees. The strap had caught onto a particularly thick branch, suspending them for a couple of moments before it too snapped, sending them tumbling into a heap.

"I take it back." Atemu muttered as he stood up. His eyes widened. He couldn't feel the straps on him. He wheeled around and watched sadly as Mana climbed to her knees, picking up the remains of the saddle and the winglet. "How badly damaged is it?" He asked softly.

"On a scale of one to ten..." Mana began tiredly. "I'd give it a ten." She turned to look at him. "Looks like we're back in square one, Atemu."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:  
** **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!...** So I am obviously just a fan who wholeheartedly loves the amazing original show and writes fanfictions (such as this...duh!...and all my other stories that have the said disclaimers on them), for fun, gaining no monetary profit whatsoever...

* * *

**Magicians and Dragons  
Chapter 8**

Mana trudged through the trees, cradling the torn saddle. She just entered the village grounds when she bumped into Seto.

"Watch wher-" Seto cut himself off upon seeing the offender. "Mana? Wha-" His eyes widened as he saw the busted saddle and Mana's haggard look. "What happened to you? And to that?"

Mana slouched. There was no point in hiding the saddle behind her back now that Seto had seen it. It would raise the suspicions if she did. "Oh this old thing?" She said, showing it to him. "It's Seba's saddle..."

Seto raised his eyebrows. "Seba?" He knew who Seba was of course. She was Mana and Mahaad's black mare. He just could not believe that a saddle that thick was for a horse to begin with.

Mana nodded with a slight shrug. Going around Seto, she added. "I gotta go. I-" Her eyes went wide as Seto grabbed the saddle from her. She turned around, horrified to find that Seto was observing the damage. "Hey. Give that back." She whined, reaching for the saddle. But Seto effortlessly held it out of her reach, furthering his examination while at it.

"What happened to this?" He demanded, running a finger at the various scratches and torn up patches.

"Fell off during a run and got dragged around" Mana reasoned as she continued to reach for it. "Now give!"

Seto frowned. The damages seemed too intense to be from a simple run. Something was definitely up. And Mana was not telling. He inwardly smirked. He didn't need to hear it from Mana. His cousin Isis – a fully fledged Oracle – had taught him a few spells in foresight. Perhaps he could use that to determine the real cause of the damage. He closed his eyes and held a hand over the saddle. There was a slight glow, a series of blurry images, and-

"That's quite enough"

The saddle was pulled out of his grasp before he could fully comprehend the visions. He growled as he opened his eyes, frowning as Karim's heated glare met him head on.

"You don't pick on your fellow magicians." Karim grounded out, handing the saddle back to Mana. "Especially the small ones." He turned to Mana, ferocity turning into its exact opposite. "Now off you go. You deserve some reward for doing quite a good job."

"Thank you..." Mana said stiffly, slowly walking away from the scene. But somehow, she just could not help but fix her eyes on Seto for a moment longer before turning around to head for home

_...Something is definitely up..._ Seto thought, frowning as Mana disappeared around a hut's corner. But before he could further dwell on the subject a harsh hand on his shoulder shook him back to reality.

"Explain yourself..." Karim growled. He had a soft spot for Mana and he knew about her insecurities. He was not about to let any bully get to her. Even if that bully was the village's protege.

Seto let out a low growl before pulling back. "I was just curious about what she was carrying. It's nothing" With that, he left, more determined than he had ever been.

…

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ooooooo

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…

Upon entering her home, she closed the door, leaning on it for a while. She was going to be in big trouble if she couldn't keep a low profile. But she had to do this. It was her fault that Atemu was stuck in the Valley. Breathing in to calm herself down, she pushed herself off the door and climbed up the stairs to her room.

Her room was simple and quite messy. There was a table piled with a few bottles of Mahaad's potions she had sneaked out from his cupboard, a simple bed quite unrecognizable due to the stack of scrolls on top of it, and a small shelf for her stuff. She made her way to the table, placing the saddle on top of it. With that done, she sat herself down and leaned back.

_...Now how do I do this?... _She thought, grabbing a reed and a parchment. She stared a good moment at the broken saddle and the snapped winglet. An idea struck ..._Perhaps if I shorten the rope..._She nodded to herself and began scribbling.

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…

"Okay, the saddle is gonna take some time before it's gonna be functional again..."

"So...what do you suggest we do?"

Mana shrugged. "Nothing, I guess."

Atemu stared at her, head cocking to the side before there was a small spark. It disappeared along with his dragon form. Folding his tri-colored wings, he made his way over to Mana and sat right next to her, sharing the warmth of her campfire. After a few moments of silence between them, he said. "Then why are you here if there is nothing to be done?"

Mana paused upon hearing that question. She straightened up and sheepishly cleared her throat. "I thought I should tell you as soon as possible." She looked at him, perking up "And besides. Even dragons need company, right?"

Atemu smiled. Mana was really different from other magicians.

"So... A Ba" Mana began suddenly, earning her a quirky look from Atemu. "That's what you call...that?" She added, gesturing Atemu's current form

Atemu nodded. "Yes... I think I made it clear."

"Then... What do you call your being a dragon?" Mana asked curiously, causing Atemu to raise a brow.

"Why do you ask?" Atemu countered

Shrugging, Mana explained. "I don't know. I mean. We see you as dragons so we call you dragons. But maybe you term it differently, you know... You get what I mean right?" Mana asked hopefully

Atemu chuckled. "We call the dragon form Ka."

"Oh" Mana pipped in understanding. There were so many things she wanted to ask. But of course, she had to be careful. She didn't want to offend Atemu. "You know." She took the time to look up, admiring the stars. "I always thought you dragons were just ruthless beasts. I was even told that you would always go for the kill no matter what." She said, giving him an enlightened look. "Sorry for thinking like that. But it is hard especially when... You do what you do..."

Atemu shrugged and leaned back, following Mana's gaze up the stars. "It's alright. I understand. That's why I don't join in the actual raiding."

Mana gazed at him "Yeah. You don't steal. But you still try to shoot us out."

Atemu snorted. "I just do that to lessen the damages you impact on my fellows. They really do not like what they are doing."

Mana raised a brow and turned to face Atemu fully. "Then why do they do it if they do not like it."

Atemu paused for a while before continuing. "I shouldn't have said that." He flew to the other side, turning back into a dragon as he landed, all the while ignoring Mana's annoyed protests.

Mana sighed, slumping her shoulders as her comments were ignored. Making her way over to the curled up dragon, she sat down and toyed with her pendant, finding amusement when it reflected back the sun's light. With a sigh, she began. "I know it is hard to tell. But you have to for the sake of stopping this stupid war. So what do you say?" There was no answer. Sighing exasperatedly, she turned to face where she knew Atemu was. "Loo-" She stopped herself, quirking a brow upon seeing what was taking place.

Atemu was attempting to grab a little dot of light on the ground. Mana touched her ruby pendant, blocking the reflected light's path. Much to Atemu's dismay and Mana's amusement, the dot of light vanished. Ignoring Atemu's half embarrassed and half frustrated look, Mana chuckled. "You dragons are funny creatures."

Atemu growled and slumped down. "And you magicians are the ultimate killjoys"

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ooooooo

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…

"Would you look at that"

"Unbelievable!"

"Am I the only one seeing this?"

Mana smiled, making sure to direct her shield's reflected light into the cage, watching with much amusement as the little Armored Dragon jumped after it. The cage was locked. Mana straightened up and turned around, backing away when the watching magicians swarmed around her.

Watching the crowd from the other side of the coliseum, Seto growled and turned away.

"Aw. Seto not used to having someone else in the limelight?"

Seto snarled and turned to face Jono, his anger rising upon seeing that annoying smirk on the blonde's face. "I am not a shallow attention seeker such as yourself, Jono." And with that, he marched out of the training grounds, Teana desperately trying to catch up.

Jono huffed once Seto was gone. He turned back to watch Mana slipping past the crowd and out the other exit. "If I was her, I would be milkin all that attention. Not running away..."

Honda grinned. "But you ain't her so just drop it."

Jono rolled his eyes. He immediately got serious. "But how do you reckon she got that good?"

Honda deadpanned. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was true. Mana was often lousy when it came to dragon slaying. So where did she pick up all those tricks. Then again, her brother was a Master Magician, so maybe... He shrugged, rubbing his temples. "Maybe it has something to do with where she runs off to or it could be because she's a late bloomer or somethin..."

Jono nodded. "Maybe so." He grabbed Honda by the neck. "What the heck. Let's go grab dinner. I'm starved" But before leaving, he turned to Bakura. "Wha' bout you, Kura. Ya comin?"

Taking Bakura's silence as a negative, Jono and Honda marched out of the training grounds, chanting about food.

_...Idiots... _Bakura thought. He normally did not heed their blabbering but in this case, he could not help but think about what those two buffoons said. They had a plausible point.

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…

"WAIT SETO"

With a frustrated growl, Seto stopped and turned to his cousin. "What?"

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Teana began. "What's with you? Why are you so angry?"

Looking away, Seto growled. It was true. He was mad. And he had never been this angry. He was always unbeatable. He was always the one praised and looked up to. Now he had been replaced. And by Mana of all people! "I just need some space"

"And a good walk..."

The cousins looked back, Seto failing to stop his eyes from rolling when Bakura came into view. "What do you want..."

Bakura just smirked. "It's either I meddle with the buffoons or you two. My choice is-" His eyes widened as he caught sight of another brunette, one who was working in the weapons hut they were about to reach in a couple of steps_...at this hour?... _He squinted to get a better look.

"I have no patience for your nuisance" Seto growled, almost making Bakura jump. "So Teana and I will be leaving you to whatever it is you're up to..."

Bakura growled as Seto and Teana were about to cross Mana's attention. He was on to something. And he was not going to let the two idiots ruin his chance of finding out what it was. Calling forth the power of the shadows, he conjured dark tendrils, throwing them at Teana and Seto before they could cross the entrance. Allowing a moment to smirk at their squirms and muffled cries, Bakura then dragged them to the side, thankful that Mana did not notice. Seto let out a muffled roar. It was hard to understand but he did pick up the line 'What in the devil's name do you think you're doing?'. "I'm gonna let you go now..." Bakura whispered, ignoring the eye-roll he received from Teana. "And you better not freakin' scream." Pointing to the weapon's hut, he added. "Mana's in there. Unless you have no plans of finding out what she's up to, then by all means, announce your presence to the world."

The struggles and yelps ceased. Bakura took that as his cue. After releasing them from the shadows, the three of them took a look into the weapons' hut, eyes widening at what they saw. Mana was covering something in linen. They hid again when she dashed out, linen-covered thing in hands as she disappeared through the dense trees and bushes

Without warning, Seto took off after her, Bakura and Teana behind him. They raced through trees and bushes, tripped in whatever was on the ground, and cursed loudly when they realized they were making too much noise. They regrouped in a clearing, eyes scanning for signs of their target

"There!" Teana gasped, seeing a silhouette frantically running behind some trees. Immediately she and the boys took off after it. "This way, hurry!"

Bakura snarled, swiping at the low branches. "She could have at least cleared the path..." He mumbled. After a few more runs, they emerged in another clearing. And this time, the silhouette was in front of them, crouching before what seemed to be a large, shadowy boulder.

"Mana?" Teana called out cautiously, nearing the vague shapes. Mumbling a spell, a ball of light formed in her hands, illuminating the area. The thing they thought was Mana turned out to be a scavenging jackal that had no choice but to abandon its treasured zebra carcass upon seeing the three disappointed magicians.

Seto growled and punched a tree while Bakura kicked an innocent stone. Mana had eluded them. Teana mumbled a humble apology as she initiated the turn-back. After a quiet trudge through the trees and bushes, they were back to where they started – the weapons' hut.

"Where do you think she goes off to?" Teana finally asked, pulling a twig from her hair.

Seto remained silent. But he was determined to find out what Mana was doing. He turned to Teana and Bakura. Judging from the looks on their faces, he was not alone.

* * *

**AN: Next chappie is where everything will make sense. lol. Don't forget to leave a review for this one ^^**


	9. Chapter 9

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
Chapter 9**

Having arrived at her destination, Mana slumped down, dropping the linen covered thing. She allowed herself to rest for a while, panting and gasping.

"You look like you've been run over by a troll"

Smirking, Mana lifted her gaze to level that of Atemu's. The moment the dragon sat down, she gave him a playful nudge. "Hey. This is all so that you can get your scaly hide back in the sky..."

Atemu rolled his eyes and nudged Mana with his tail, careful not to send her splashing into the pond. While giggling, Mana tried to shove him back. But of course, her physical strength is no match against that of a dragon. With a sigh, she stood up – Atemu following her move – and pulled the linen cover, revealing the improved saddle for them to use.

"I'm taking that you're impressed?" Mana chided, watching as Atemu circled the saddle.

"With the craftsmanship, yes..." Atemu answered coolly, fiddling with the belt. "But with the function of the entire thing...neh, not so much..."

Mana let out a sarcastic 'tut'. "What? You're still on with that dragon pride of yours? C'mon you have to admit, it allowed you to fly..."

"Not without painful landings..." Atemu mumbled, loud enough for Mana to hear. He expected an indignant reply, a shove, or something of a comeback. Not that devious look plastered on her face. "What's with the creepy smile?"

Deviant smirk still in place, Mana reached something deep within her cloak, pulling out a piece of parchment. "I've got this. This will make sure we won't crash..."

"How sure are you?" Atemu asked, quite impressed with her aura of confidence.

Mana gave the dragon a knowing look. "There is only one way to find out you know..."

Atemu shrugged. She had a point. "Then the sooner you get this on, the sooner we be done with this..." He added as he lowered himself to the ground.

Mana let out a prideful 'humph' just to tick the already annoyed dragon off. She began strapping the saddle on his golden back. Buckles were slid in place, ropes were secured, the winglet in place, and cheat sheet within viewing convenience. After a short while, Mana was already atop Atemu, both ready for take-off.

"Ready?" Mana asked, eying Atemu from the side

"I should be asking you that..." Atemu replied smugly, pawing the ground rather impatiently.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's fly!" Mana pipped. Not even a second has passed after that, they were shooting through the misty air. Leaning forward to shield herself from the onslaught of the wind, Mana took a little peek at her parchment. "Okay, Atemu, turn right. Just gently..."

Atemu did just that. The turn, though bumpy, was successful. Wings were spread at a certain angle, allowing them to glide through the air. Unfortunately, a rock formation was in the way. "Mana..."

"I know I know..." Mana replied nonchalantly as she pushed her ankle at a certain angle.

They turned left successfully. But they did not miss the towering rock. Atemu's grumbling was proof of that.

"Okay... maybe a little more... try right this time."

And they nudged the edge of the cliff. Atemu was already seething. He gave Mana a reprimanding slap with his ear.

"Alright alright..." Mana replied impatiently. "I'm just as new as you ya know..." She returned her attention to the piece of parchment, just in time to see it blown away by a sudden turbulence.

"MY CHEAT SHEET" She cried, frantically reaching for the drifting parchment. In her desperation, she leaned too far, putting too much weight on the pedal. There was a piercing hark and before she knew it, her view began spinning wildly.

"GET THAT STUPID WINGLET BACK UP" Atemu roared as he spun towards the ground. No matter how strong he flapped his wings, he could not seem to get his balance back. He kept on spinning and spinning. The ground was coming towards them fast. And if they didn't get their altitude back, it was not going to be pretty.

Pulling her staff out of her belt, Mana muttered a Field spell - one she saw performed by a humble Mancer. Her staff glowed. A gust of wind was born, growing and growing until a strong current came into being. "SPREAD YOUR WINGS, ATEMU"

Atemu did as told, stretching his wings to its full span. Immediately, his clumsy spinning ceased, allowing him to glide with the conjured current at a shaky pace. There was a barely audible thud as Mana resumed her place upon his back, struggling to shoot her foot through the pedal. He felt safe knowing that she was there. However, there was still one issue at hand – they were still falling.

Only a hundred feet separated them from the ground. The usually calm dragon was getting frantic. Last time he crashed, he lost the ability to fly on his own. He didn't want to know what would happen should there be another crash. He closed his eyes, thinking this was it.

"ATEMU, PULL UP"

With eyes snapped open in seconds, Atemu felt the shift in the replacement winglet. Whether he trusted her angle or not, he didn't have time to think it through. He didn't need to be told twice. He immediately pulled up. The result was a smooth glide that sent them upwards, balanced as they regained their bearings. But just as they cleared the ground, a huge rock formation towered in their way.

With a strangled 'eep', Mana pushed the pedal in time with Atemu's instinctive turn. The winglets assumed an angle that enabled Atemu to maintain his balance, swiftly avoiding the natural tower of stone. She let out a sigh. But that sigh was cut off when another towering formation of rocks appeared, then another came out of the night mist, and then another, and so on. There were so many of them, blocking her way like an annoying obstacle course. She spared Atemu a glance, quite surprised to find him giving her a look she was sure had a similar expression as hers. They were going too fast. It was too late to turn back, especially now when the first tower was within an arm's length.

"RIGHT" Mana yelled as she leaned forward, putting just enough pressure on the little pedal. Atemu did just that. They were able to evade the second tower. But when the third tower came into a neck-craning view, she immediately turned the winglet, no more time to yell out which direction should Atemu take. But Atemu evaded the tower just in time, turning in sync with Mana's angle.

It all happened so fast. There were so many dangerous towers in their path. But both of them flew through it swiftly and expertly. Every move was in sync. Every angle was just right. And every turn was precise. They emerged from the mist and the path of towering rocks, Mana throwing up her hands while Atemu blowing silky flames in triumph. They made it out in one piece. And they finally got the hang of flying with the other's help.

"WE DID IT WE DID IT YES WE DID IT" Mana chanted loudly as they flew through the hazy night.

"Mana..." Atemu whispered, suddenly shifting from happy to anxious. "Please, keep it down..." In all honesty, he had no idea where they currently were, the mist being too thick for even him to see through. However, he could not help but feel that they were in forbidden territory.

Mana deadpanned, giving Atemu a reassuring pat. "Oh would you please lighten up? We did good! So let's just fly around and go smooth-sailing-"

Their flight was interrupted by a series of blurry figures going through their path head on. Closing her eyes, Mana squealed and urged Atemu to fly downward, evading the charging animals. Tightening her grip on her staff, She murmured a spell. There was a glow. However...

"Don't" Atemu grounded out, dodging a speeding body before finally clearing the raging flock. "They won't hurt you"

Indeed feeling herself still in one piece, Mana opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Atemu giving her a frightened look. Behind him, disappearing in the mist were dragons of all shapes and sizes, flying like a flock of birds. Though the view was unclear, she could tell that they were carrying livestock they had stolen from the village. "Where are they going?"

Atemu let out a small and shaky sigh. He closed his eyes, praying that-

"We should go follow them..."

Too late. Mana had said it. He was hoping that she would just let it go. She already knew way to much. Lowering his head, he answered with one simple "No"

Mana glared at him. "Atemu, They stole MY home's food. I think we have the right to find out why." Still, Atemu remained silent. "Atemu! Are you even listening?"

Atemu mulled his thoughts over. He agreed with Mana. They did have the right to know. Perhaps they will understand once they learned the truth. But of course, they would most likely charge in harm's way. He could not have that. He didn't want anymore lives, whether it be magicians or dragons, destroyed by that horrible mistake.

"Atemu! we're gonna lose them!"

And then there was the urge of finding out for himself how his kind lived, how they dealt with... their situation.

"ATEMU"

Atemu jerked back, giving Mana a very annoyed look. The gaze he got in return was far more intimidating than he imagined. "Alright. But you better keep quiet." After seeing Mana's cooperative nod, he immediately dove down, thankful that Mana's reflexes were just as quick as his own. Unfortunately, the dragons have disappeared, not even leaving a trail for them to follow.

"This is just peachy." Mana grumbled, slumping her shoulders as Atemu hovered from where they were.

Atemu ruffled his head. "Don't worry. I know where they're going. All dragons do..." And before Mana could have him clarify what he just said, he sped forward, driving through the mist.

There were twists and turns. Cliffs, boulders, towers of earth here and there. Mana simply followed Atemu's direction. And then came a sound that made her half relieved and half nervous.

Hundreds of flapping wings, a background for the all too familiar reptilian roars, were just ahead of them, the mist obscuring them from view... But not for long. Mana squinted her eyes to see a bright red spot glowing from below. And from Atemu's sudden turn towards it, she could tell that that was their destination.

An island came into view. Mana held back a cringe. Without a doubt, that's the Dragon's nest. From where they were, it looked so much like a dead tree with thousands of crooked branches reaching out from all sides, centering a gigantic cave. Dragons of all shapes and sizes were flying into it like bats. And it was not long before they too passed through the entrance.

Atemu was careful, making sure that none of his fellow dragons spotted him as they made their way through. After a series of winding tunnels, they emerged into what looked like a gigantic room, circling a ominous black hole on its red floor. With a frown, he turned to the side, hiding in one corner.

Mana watched intensely. She could not believe what she was seeing. The dragons were dropping the stolen livestock into the hole! They were not even eating it. She turned to Atemu. "Are you guys saving up for something? Why are they not eating any of it?"

Atemu was about to answer however, he was interrupted by one loud rumbling. They turned to the source. A Petit Dragon dropped what looked like half a chicken leg into the hole. And before it could turn around, a large jaw had burst from the abyss, swallowing the tiny dragon whole. let loose a roar, followed by a huge wave of white fire, making every dragon, including Atemu, cringe.

"Oh my-" Mana was cut off as Atemu wrapped his tail around her mouth.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The beast had heard them.

"MANA MOVE" Atemu roared as he flew up, narrowly evading a blaze of white flames. He looked back in time to see an elongated neck emerge from the hole, bright green eyes gleaming as the beast hissed.

Mana yelled when a huge chunk of the cave's ceiling came crashing down, courtesy of that gargantuan thing's blast. They twisted and turned, desperate to stay alive until finally, they shot out of the ominous cave.

"We're out.." Mana said, squinting her eyes. The thing seemed to have stopped following them. But to her confusion, Atemu was not slowing down. "Atemu?"

Atemu kept going and going, not noticing Mana's attempts to get his attention until he felt a soothing stroke at the side of his neck. He slowed down, decidedly gliding with the current as he caught his breath.

"Calm down, Temu.." He heard Mana whisper. "It's gone."

Still doubting her words, Atemu took a look for himself, breathing a sigh of relief when it was indeed nowhere in sight. "I need to land..." he breathed, feeling quite woozy.

Mana complied, tilting the control in the right angle as Atemu lowered himself. Trees came into view and before long, she felt the thud of ground contact and another when Atemu's limbs gave way. She got down and sat in front of her worn out dragon friend, watching as he reverted into a Ba. "What's the matter?" She asked cautiously, helping him up as he struggled to upright himself.

His answer was a vigorous shake of his head before burying his face in shuddering hands. He wasn't afraid. It's just that, he never felt so helpless. Seeing what that thing was making his people do sickened him and aggravated him to no end. But he was well aware that he couldn't do anything about it... alone...

As he looked up, he met Mana's gentle gaze. Giving her a smile, he said. "We almost got killed by that monster..."

"Almost..." Mana repeated with a playful smirk. "We got away didn't we?"

Atemu shrugged, rubbing his chilled arms. "For now... He's gonna be on high alert after this.."

Mana straightened up, giving him a pressing look. "And who would that 'he' be?"

Casting Mana an exhausted gaze, Atemu leaned back, wings tucked and arms folded behind his head. Perhaps it was time for someone outside their realm to know what has been going on. Taking a deep breath, he began their tale. "It all started with a war..."

_=10,000BC/Somewhere in the Atlantic=_

"_Your highness, The invaders managed to destroy the west wall."_

"_Atlantis is being destroyed as we speak, Sire"_

"_We have no choice... This ritual is our only option..." _

_The king turned away from his advisers, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Foreigners have come, demanding their kingdom's submission. Of course, he and his people were not just going to hand themselves over. A war broke out, one that proved to be too much for them._

"_Sire?"_

_The king held out a hand. There was silence, broken only by his words "Then it shall be done..." _

…

…

_In the midst of a chamber, dominated by serpent decor, stood the king and a man with the most unusual eyes. "How exactly will this ritual aid us in winning the war, Priest Dartz?"_

_Dartz smirked, fingers laced before his eyes. "As we know, the soul is composed of five parts, each representing a power only available to humans. With this ritual, we shall unlock that power."_

_The king frowned in thought. Unlocking the soul's true potential. They might be able to save the kingdom. And not only that, they would become the most powerful civilization known to man. But something was amiss. It was just too good to be true."Are there any... repercussions?"_

"_None as far as I know of, Your majesty..." Dartz replied smoothly._

_The king nodded. "Alright then. What must be done for this ritual to be complete?"_

…

…

_Reptilian beasts of all sizes swarmed from the city, raining fire on the retreating boats of the invaders, completely annihilating them even as they were escaping. Their pleas fell upon deaf ears. By the end of the day, no trace of the invaders was left. _

_The beasts let loose a roar. There were dozens of bright sparks as they began to return to what they were before – the people of Atlantis. _

…

…

ooooooo

…

…

"So let me get this straight..." Mana said. "You were humans?"

"Yeah." Atemu answered. "We still are. We're only like this because of that ritual. We can use the power of our soul's five parts – the Ba, Ka, Sheut, Akh, and Ren"

"So... the dragon is the Ka. Then what you are now is the Ba... What about those other three?"

"Me as a Ba using the abilities of the Ka. That's the Sheut. The Ren is the name, I guess. Don't know much about that. As for the Akh, none of us know what it holds."

"Okay." Mana said. This was not something she was expecting. "But that still does not answer the main question. Why do you steal? And what's that gigantic thing back in the nest?"

Atemu's gaze softened. "Priest Dartz said there were no repercussions right?" After Mana nodded, he added. "He was wrong..."

…

…

ooooooo

…

…

"_The time has come..." Dartz said in an almost monotonous voice. "The Great Leviathan has granted your wishes. Now he wants what's his. He wants you – all of you – as his slaves"_

"_No." The King grounded out, dark wings melting to gold as he shifted from Ba to Ka. "We have already given sacrifices in exchange for the power. He cannot have us as his slaves"_

"_The sacrifices were not enough." Dartz replied coolly, making the king's gold armor feathers bristle. "And that is not your choice to make."_

…

…

ooooooo

…

…

"That doesn't seem fair now, does it..." Mana grumbled.

Shaking his head, Atemu said. "Nothing is fair." He let out a deep sigh before continuing. "The Leviathan was so intent on his choice to the point of war. Unfortunately, we lost. Atlantis was destroyed. The Royal Family was banished. And since then, my people were forced to follow wherever he goes, providing him food and what not. It just so happens that he chose this area as his temporary nest."

"But you and your family are free...right?" Mana said kindly. But seeing Atemu's confused look, she pouted and nudged him. "Oh c'mon. I'm not that dense. You're a member of the Royal Family. That's why you don't steal. That's why you keep on referring to your fellows as 'my people'. And that's why that gigantic thing tried to kill you... or us to be more general."

Atemu smiled a small smile. "The king was my ancestor. My great great great great – 6500 years worth of 'greats' – grandfather. We were all Winged Dragons of Ra as you call it. And we made it our oath to do what we can for our people."

"Speaking of oaths..." Mana said suddenly. "Why do you try to hide your Ba from everyone? Only showing your Ka?"

Atemu sat up, hands and eyes on his lap. "It is to protect ourselves and outsiders."

"Whoa... I get protecting yourselves but outsiders? As in us?"

Atemu gave Mana a slight nudge before clarifying. "The Leviathan wants to keep his life the way it is. He didn't want anyone to mess with it. Any outsider who would discover what we really are would have his or her entire civilization annihilated or forced in the same fate if he deems them worthy. Once that's done, he would move again, search for another place. And the moving is what's really painful for dragons. The journey's rough. He'd have them for snacks throughout it."

"Okay. I think I understand." Mana said softly. "I never thought your lives were that complicated."

Atemu smirked. "Again, you never thought a lot of things."

* * *

AN: I made this chappie long as compensation because I'm not sure if I can update on time next week.


	10. Chapter 10

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
Chapter 10**

"Well, it's about time..." Karim said. He stood tall and firm, unlike his fellows who rushed towards the arriving boats. He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. The boats have returned - broken and black in various places. Everyone was acting a lot like the end has come. They should be used to this by now. They should just quit their whining and do what they ought to do. With a sigh, he made his way towards the boats, grabbing Mahaad's hand when the latter almost lost balance upon getting out.

"Thanks" Mahaad mumbled, free hand straightening the askew cap resting on his disheveled hair.

"I'm guessing no nest?" Karim asked, smiling wryly. Seeing Mahaad's down cast look, he gave a meek smile and a pat on the Master Magician's back. "Look at the bright side. You managed to come back... most of you..." He added, grimly eying Mahaad's uneven locks – a bundle's worth obviously burnt off.

With a sigh, Mahaad straightened up, swinging a bag over his shoulder. "Yeah... the bad news just keeps coming, doesn't it..."

"Well, there's good news to balance that..."

Karim was smiling when Mahaad faced him. "And what might that good news be?" Mahaad asked, suspecting that perhaps Karim was just saying that to cheer him up.

"Mana's been amazing." Karim said. Seeing disbelief etched all over Mahaad's face, he added. "It's true. She's become the best recruit there is. Would you believe it? She beat the dragons using all kinds of stuff. From weeds to lights to... bah.. It's unbelievable!"

Throughout Karim's rave, Mahaad had been slammed in dumbfounded. Mana? The best recruit? Beating dragons without even hacking their heads off? This has got to be one sick joke...

"Oh it's no joke..." Karim said suddenly, making Mahaad wonder just how much foresight capability his friend actually had. "Does this look like the face of someone who'd pull your leg..." A glare was sent his way "...when you're like this?" He snorted. "Fine, if you don't believe me, why don't we go and see things for ourselves eh?"

Mahaad smiled. Was there really hope for his little sister?

"Yeah... let's.."

…

…

Despite nature's attempt to keep things hushed, the serene sounds of chirping birds and the chorus of wind and leaves stirred the dragon from his slumber

Rubbing an eye with one golden claw, Atemu blinked and looked around, relatively relaxed. Feeling the gentlest of weights on his side, he turned to see Mana, curled up underneath his folded wings. How she got there unscathed from his sharp feathers was beyond him. But he didn't care. She looked so peaceful, so unlike her awake and hyper self. Then again, he was just happy that he was not alone.

As though the dragon's gaze left a lingering touch, Mana stirred, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Upon seeing herself cocooned in golden feathers, she bolted up. Lucky for her, Atemu got his wings out of the way before the feathers could do some damage.

"Anything wrong?" Atemu asked, stretching much like a cat when Mana stood up, staggering as she looked around.

"Why am I here?"

Atemu raised a brow, accompanying such a notion was a naive tilt of the head. Why did she sound scared? After a beat, he finally understood, shifting from innocent confusion to mild nonchalance. "You fell asleep a few hours ago." He stated, head lowered as he preened himself.

It took a moment for the night's events to return to Mana's attention. And when it did, she began pacing back and forth, anxiety belching from her like smoke from a flame. "So let me get this straight..." She began firmly, ceasing in her obsessive pacing to give Atemu a look that begged for assurance. "I was here... All night. As in, I never went back to the village?"

"Pretty much" Atemu replied, not even missing a beat. He ruffled himself, metallic feathers standing like a fluffed kitten's coat. Finally taking note of Mana's close proximity to a state of hysterics, "Is everything alright?"

"No" Mana whined, fiddling with her fingers, looking from left to right, and hissing as though she had been stung. "Oh man... I am so dead"

Atemu watched as the perplexed magician scampered here and there, looking for something blatantly in front of her, and all the while muttering the words 'I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead' like a tongue twisting mantra. "I do not see the problem here."

"No time to explain." Mana said quickly, finally finding the pathway. "I've got to go before-"

"MANA"

Both magician and dragon froze. Nature stilled, allowing them to hear someone's approach to the woods, accompanied by that voice Mana knew so well.

"Big brother..." She gasped. "He's back." Her relief was short lived upon hearing the crunch of twigs, leaves, and branches – all due to approaching comrades. "Atemu... You have to.." She trailed off, seeing as the dragon vanished into the bushes.

"Way ahead of you..." He whispered back before completely disappearing deep into the bushes. This was bad. He was nowhere near the safety of the oasis. He had no idea where they were currently located. But judging from the presence of Mana's companions, they were in close proximity to the village. Shifting back to a Ba, he flew upwards, disappearing through the thickened branches, just in time to see two male magicians meet with Mana.

"There you are..." Karim sighed, placing a hand on Mana's shoulder. "A little early for an excursion don't you think?"

After a sheepish chuckle, Mana replied. "Well, training doesn't lax off..." Her gaze lingered at her brother, taking in his slightly haggard look. "Brother..." She trailed off. She didn't know what to say. The words 'welcome back' and 'nice to see you again' were not enough. So she settled for hugging him, expressing all her happiness in that one act. She smiled when she felt his arms tighten around her.

Despite their unemotional parting, both had been worried. In every search for the dragons' nest, the probability for success and survival were always at risk. Every magician knew that those who would venture on such a quest might not return. But they have accepted it as a way of life. Nonchalance was feigned. And tears were hidden behind confidence.

From his perch, Atemu took the whole scene in. His people and Mana's. Both were just so similar in many ways. He remembered how his people would prepare for the raid, saying goodbye as though it was nothing, then express every bit of happiness when they did return. On a personal level, the sight made him yearn for his own father, killed by the Leviathan.

The three magicians left. He breathed a sigh of relief. He got down and trekked through the woods. He saw the oasis when he was still perched above. It was not very far. But he could not help but grumble. They landed too close to the magicians' village.

…

…

"So... Tell me about the dragon..."

Mana froze. Swallowing nervously, she closed the door, turning to face her brother. His face was taut - no surprise there. Hands on his sides. His very gaze seemed to burn right through her. One question ran through her mind: How did he know about Atemu?

"Well?"

Before she could stop herself, Mana broke down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. You see, I've been trying to tell you and-"

"Sorry? That's what you say when you do a good job?"

Mana deadpanned. Was this some kind of joke? But then again, her big brother was well known for having a dull sense of humor, so a joke was not even plausible. "Wait..." Perhaps she misheard. Yeah. That must be it. "What?"

Mahaad chuckled, much to Mana's confusion. He playfully nudged her. "Don't you dare hold out on me. Not when the entire village caught you red handed" He said playfully.

_...Who are you and what have you done with my brother?..._ "Eh...?"

Grasping Mana's shoulder, he said. "I'm talking about how you handled your first dragon. It was a Luster from what I've heard. Big ol' thing got intimidated of you. Backed away like you commanded... I want to hear it from you. Did that really happen? Or maybe Karim was drunk again..."

Mana laughed sheepishly. She should have known. The entire village must be talking about it. Weakly pumping a fist in the air, she confirmed it, much to Mahaad's delight. "Yup. Scared that scaly beast back into the cell. Everyone was stunned. You should have seen their faces"

"Bet a lot of jaws reached the ground" Mahaad assumed with a chuckle

Time was spent talking – Mana retelling how she outsmarted and tamed the captured dragons while Mahaad listened intently, laughing and making Mana repeat herself once in a while. It was just unbelievable. His precious little sister, one top dragon tamer? Perhaps it was in the blood after all...

Maybe she really was a dragon killer...

Muffled noises were suddenly heard, a background for the three loud knocks on their door, forcing a ticked off Mahaad to answer it. His eyes went wide – the right eye twitching a bit. He was greeted by the entire village led by Karim. Shocked was not even enough to describe what he felt. "What's going on?

"IT'S HAPPENING. IT IS FINALLY HAPPENING." Karim practically yelled in Mahaad's ear. "I knew it. I knew having her train with the other recruits was the best thing to do." Behind him, the villagers spoke – all at the same time. Their voices merged to become the ultimate headache.

Mahaad quirked a brow. "What are you talking about?"

As though reprimanded, everyone fell silent. Only Karim spoke.

"Mana's been declared the best recruit. She's gonna be the one to slay the Blue Eyes."

Mana's breath hitched. If she was forty years older, she would have had a heart attack. While she was on the verge of hyperventilation, Mahaad stood, frozen and wide-eyed. He was surprised, proud, and worried. He turned to her. This was her chance. The ultimate glory – to kill her very first dragon.

Mana gulped. Her entire body was shaking. "I'm..." There was no way she could and would kill a dragon. But judging from the situation, she only had two options. Kill a dragon or...

…

…

"Leaving"

Mana jumped from the last stone obstacle between her and the oasis. She straightened up, adjusting her grip on the large sack over her shoulder. She had left when everyone was celebrating – even though the actual slaying wasn't until late afternoon. There was just no way she could slay that dragon.. Leaving was her option. It was alright. Sure, she'd miss her brother and the others. But it was for the best. Besides, she'd have Atemu as company. She's okay with that. And speaking of whom...

"Atemu" Mana called. "C'mon. It's time for us to go"

Silence. But it was soon followed by a response. One that was far from what she was expecting.

"Where are you going? And who is this Atemu person?"

Mana froze, eyes fixed on Seto, Teana, and Bakura as they got down from their rocky perch and advanced.

**

* * *

AN:I must apologize for the delay. You see, a virus got into my flash drive. It destroyed all my files - including the chapters I made for this fic. I am currently rewriting the chapters. It is slow progress because I kinda lost a bit of moxie in writing. I might not be able to update on time for a while. But I will try to post the updates in the usual 'once a week' interval. **


	11. Chapter 11

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 11**

Mana just stood there, frozen as her three comrades approached her. How did they get here? Were they spying on her? Where's Atemu? An endless barrage of questions kept her still. It was only when Seto grasped her shoulder did she snap out of such a weird trance.

"Well?" Seto snarled. He was getting more curious and irritated as the seconds ticked by. Who was this Atemu she was calling out to? In all his life, he never heard of such a name. He had to know. No one – especially someone like Mana – could get that good without some sort of help. "Are you gonna answer or not?"

Judging from her silence, probably not. Seto was already losing his patience. He advanced, inwardly smirking as Mana backpedaled with each step he took until her back hit solid stone.

Mana shrank back as Seto loomed over her, hands pressed on the stone on either side of her head. "H-how'd you get here?" She stammered

"Don't change the subject" was the spat out reply, making her cringe. "Now tell me. What has been going on? Who taught you all those tricks you did in the training grounds."

"I-I-"

But Seto was not done asking. "And who is this Atemu?"

"Seto" Teana scolded, rushing in to pull her cousin away from Mana. "Don't traumatize her. Unless you want Karim and Mahaad to butcher you."

"Can't argue with that logic..." Bakura said, arms folded as he surveyed his surroundings. He had to admit, the place was impressive. Perfect for some quiet time and those meditation things Oracles and Seers kept on doing. "No wonder why you spend your time in this place a lot. I'd do so too if I had known about this earlier. Just two questions though, Where are you going and who IS Atemu? Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Mana's cheeks went red at that. "I- no- and-"

"And what's with this?" Teana asked, going around to check the contents of the sack. With wide eyes, she turned to Mana. "Are you planning on running away?"

"Well-"

"Eloping with this Atemu person?" Bakura sneered.

"Um-"

"We're not stupid Mana." Seto snapped. "Why are you leaving. Tell us or I will find out myself."

Shoulders slumped and sighing, Mana said. "I can't kill a dragon. Sure I can knock them out, stun them or... you know. But I just can't kill. I'm just going to embarrass my brother when he finds out I can't kill that Blue Eyes later this afternoon."

One moment, she was admitting her weakness and the next, the breath was knocked out of her. Frightened emerald orbs stared into angry ocean blue that loomed over her once more.

"YOU were declared the BEST recruit?" Seto boomed, grasping her shoulders to bruising point. This has got to be one sick bluff. And he never tolerated sick bluffs. He shook her, ignoring Bakura and Teana's protests. Mana could not be the best recruit. It was just impossible. "That is o-"

There was a hark, a blur, and then Seto was sent flying. Dust clouds prevented anyone from seeing what the cause was. Bakura and Teana staggered back, covering their noses as a wave of dust slammed right at them.

"Seto?" Teana called, attempting to see through the thick haze. There was nothing but dust. But soon enough Seto's trademark silhouette emerged. She rushed in, grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him into clean air. "Where's Mana?"

"Don't... know..." Seto coughed. As he straightened up, Bakura muttered a little spell, conjuring a lifesaving breeze that cleared the dust. The brown clouds danced. Then something out of it pounced, slamming right at Bakura.

When the dust finally cleared, they were met with a sight that froze them on the spot.

Bakura was pinned down, rendered helpless by a golden dragon they have never seen before. But they have a hunch as to what it was. The very beast that remained a mystery to their people.

Seto grabbed his rod, pointing the end at the beast. "Don't move, Bakura"

"LIKE I HAVE A DARN CHOICE" Bakura roared back, breathing hard as the dragon growled right in front of his face

"WAIT"

The blast Seto intended missed as Mana pushed his arm out of the set range. She staggered towards Bakura and the dragon, much to Teana and Seto's horror.

"MANA, GET AWAY FROM THAT THING" Teana screeched as she lunged. Seto was quick to grab her. Both watched, stunned as Mana tried to calm the dragon with soothing words.

"They won't hurt you..." Mana whispered, running a hand upon Atemu's beak. Turning to the cousins, she added. "And he won't hurt you too. Unless you provoke him."

"Are you INSANE?" Teana yelled, earning her an angry hark from the dragon. She and Seto backpedaled as the beast advanced on them, golden feathers standing on end. But Mana was quick, clutching and stroking the beak. Much to their surprise, the dragon stopped and actually leaned in to her touch. But it still had that murderous gaze locked on them.

"He..." Seto said bluntly, giving the dragon a scrutinizing gaze as he loosened his grip on his cousin's shoulders "Who's he?"

With a sigh, Mana sidestepped. But she did not stop stroking Atemu's neck. "Guys... I'd like you to meet Atemu..." She winced slightly as Atemu hissed at her two comrades. "And Atemu..." The dragon glared. "These are my fellow...magicians..."

The cousins froze as the dragon looked them over, the feathers lying back down as Mana diffused the tension...

or so they thought...

The dragon reared up, harking as Bakura grabbed the neck. The three grounded magicians lunged out of the way as the dragon went on a rampage, desperately trying to throw Bakura off. The scene reminiscent of someone breaking a horse, only made infinitely deadly by the fact that they were dealing with a dragon.

"NO" Mana screeched, running after them. "STOP IT, YOU'RE HURTING HIM"

"ARE YOU REFERRING TO HIM OR ME?" Bakura yelled back, as he lost his grip. He fell and rolled onto a safe zone, lucky not to end up trampled. He looked up, eyes widening as he met the murderous dragons' gaze head on.

Teana and Seto went in for the kill. But they were thrown off as the dragon swiped at them. Atemu harked then went straight for Bakura. Bakura was trapped. The dragon was too close to evade from where he was. He closed his eyes, waiting... and

"STOP"

Mana stood in the way, her back on Bakura as she held her hands out. The dragon reared up, harking. But he was not attempting to behead or burn her. "Please don't do this, Atemu..."

Much to Bakura's surprise, the dragon calmed down and – unbelievably – wore an expression of a kicked puppy. But that expression vanished as a spell hit his right wing head on.

"NO" Mana yelled. Atemu staggered blindly, harking as the spells and charms continuously slammed onto his side. Mana rushed in, desperate to help her friend. But she was grabbed, held back, and forced to watch as Seto and Teana subdued the beast. She kicked and flailed, but it only made Bakura tighten his grip. "LET ME GO. I HAVE TO STOP THIS."

But Bakura ignored her. She watched, letting out a pained scream as Atemu let out one last hark before keeling to the side. The dragon landed with a thud – a sign telling them that it was over. Mana was released. Teary-eyed, she staggered towards Atemu, resting his armored head on her lap.

The three other magicians lost their killing stance – but not their caution. They tentatively neared Mana, Bakura resting the back of his hand on the tender flesh beneath the dragon's scaly neck. Seto and Teana stood nearby, their respective staffs still glowing should the dragon pounce.

"It's still alive..." Bakura said. The verdict was confirmed by a weak growl that cued for them to step back.

"Atemu..." Mana whispered as the dragon stirred, blinking. Her breath hitched as Atemu's weak gaze bore into hers. There was hurt, sadness, and betrayal swimming beneath the pools of amethyst crimson. "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry." She cradled his head, not bothering to stop her tears from falling.

Atemu shuddered and instinctively nuzzled closer to her touch. The smell of burned feathers coupled with the stinging of his entire right wing told him that even Mana's unique way of helping him fly will no longer suffice.

There was also pain. Extreme pain that he could not place. It was coupled with the feeling of sadness and anger. He felt betrayed. If Mana had not gotten in his way, he wouldn't be injured like this. Those three would have been easily taken cared of. How could he let his guard down like that? Why would Mana stop him from defending himself?

"What should we do with it?"

"Finish it off?"

Mana's grip tightened as she hugged Atemu's head closer. There were footsteps that came to a quick stop. The shadows of her comrades loomed over her.

"I have a better idea..."

Mana froze. Atemu was growling, his feathers standing on end as Seto neared. He opened his mouth, a glow forming deep within his throat as he prepared to fire. But a good kick to his busted side stopped him. He curled up in on himself, moaning and whimpering.

Once the defenses were down, Seto stepped back and pointed his staff at the dragon. A charm was muttered. Ropes came out of nowhere, binding Atemu's beak. Atemu struggled and thrashed, but was once again struck.

Mana struggled to protect Atemu. But was once again rendered helpless as Teana and Bakura restrained her. She opted using a spell. But apparently, her mind was read. Bakura confiscated her staff while Teana cast the Spellbinding Circle on her. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS" She screamed, struggling to break free as she watched Seto conjure a leash on Atemu.

"Sorry, Mana. But this is for your own good." Teana whispered, keeping her from reaching Atemu.

Atemu reared up, harking through the gag as Seto struggled to pull him down. While the dragon had his attention focused on Seto, Bakura used the opportunity to cast heavy shackles on his front and hind claws, forcing Atemu back on all fours.

"We're bringing him back to the village..." Seto declared as he and Bakura dragged the struggling dragon out of the oasis.

"What about Mana?" Teana asked, resting her hand on the sobbing girl's shoulder.

Seto smirked. "Bring her along. I bet her brother will be in one hell of a shock when he finds out what she's been up to..."

Mana's heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. Her brother was only family she had left and all her life, she aimed to please him. If he would learn of this, he would be upset beyond anything. She had nightmares of him shunning her. And she always woke up panting, sweating, and thanking every god that those remained as nightmares.

But now... it was about to happen for real should Seto slap her brother's face with that news.

With fresh tears cascading from her eyes she looked up. "Please Se-" She trailed off. Atemu was looking at her. The dragon was still struggling. Despite that, Seto and Bakura were able to drag him, force him to go wherever they wanted. He gave her one last look before his captors managed to keep him from looking back.

Teana was silent for a while, taking the time to observe Mana. She had stopped her loud sobbing, reduced to a bundle of soft sniffles instead. Giving her shoulder a pat before grasping her arm, "C'mon... we better get going."


	12. Chapter 12

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
Chapter 12**

The Magician's Headpieces. Two metal cones decorated with gold and priceless purple dye, each fashioned for the best dragon-slaying man and woman of their village. Both have been in the possession of the greatest Magician family. The headpieces have been handed down, from father to son, mother to daughter, member to member. With every generation that came, the descendants of this particular family always surpassed the greatness of their predecessors.

Until Mana came into the picture...

Mahaad sighed, a smile on his lips. He – his mother, father, and grandparents as well – had long feared that Mana would be the one to break their lineage of success. It was foretold by the Grand Seer Shimon. Their chain shall be broken, traditions will be mutilated, and their way of life shall come to an end. All of this will be brought upon their heads by one whose family bore greatness. Many – himself included – had thought that Mana would be the bearer of this end.

_...Apparently, someone else will have to be the doom bringer... _He thought, taking hold of the lone headpiece from the shelf. After her downpour of success, Mana finally deserved to wear it. He smiled fondly as he thumbed its male counterpart resting on his head. Now he wouldn't be the only ridiculous stand-out.

His pondering was interrupted by thundering footsteps and yelling. He found it odd. Was there an attack? Impossible. He would have heard the sound of wings, blasts, and roaring. He rushed to the door. But before he could reach for it, it burst open. He froze as Karim stood there, panting, eyes wide, and looking like a troll ran his house down.

"You have to come." He rasped. "You wouldn't believe what the recruits did."

Mahaad's eyes widened. Recruits only had one significant meaning in his mind – Mana. The headpiece fell from his hands.

Karim staggered back as Mahaad bolted past him. But he easily caught up and led the way. Up ahead, right by the village's edge, was a large crowd. Both pushed their way through. Once they got up front, they got the shock of their lives.

The male recruits, aided by twelve full grown magicians were trying to subdue a half-bound dragon. It was a dragon they had never seen before. Pure gold. Bird-like features. Somehow, they knew what this dragon was. The bringer of fire and death.

There was a high pitched... yet muffled hark...

"Winged Dragon..." Karim whispered. He was stunned. He had long dreamed of seeing, capturing, and slaying this particular dragon. Everyone in the village had. He never thought it would be possible.

Until now...

He quickly snapped into action. He rushed forward – together with half the crowd – and grabbed onto the ropes attempting to bind the elusive dragon.

The dragon proved to be quite the adversary. Despite being outnumbered, it still managed to fight. The Heka used against it would either bounce off or simply vanish without an effect.

It took twenty men and twice as much Cunei Chains for the dragon to be held completely still. Target was finally locked.

"Now would be a good time, Mahaad" Karim called out, struggling to keep the dragon in his dreaded headlock.

Mahaad stepped up front and kept his eyes locked onto the dragon's own. He saw anger, defiance, confidence, and ferocity. No fear whatsoever. With a frown, he raised his staff. There was a blast. Then the beast collapsed, exhausted but still conscious.

Everyone cautiously stepped back, watching the rise and fall of the dragon's weak breathing. Now that it was down, what should they do. There were a lot of possibilities. The only problem was, which should they do first?

But more importantly, how did the recruits capture it? They were elated that they have overwhelmed one of the most powerful of dragons. But their curiosity has prevented that joy and elation from surfacing. Everyone was shocked, silent, and still. All eyes were focused on the people in question.

"Well?" Mahaad asked. "Anyone want to explain how you caught a Winged Dragon?" He took one more look at the beast before adding, "And why the heck does it have a saddle on its back?"

Seto smirked. And much to Mahaad's horror, he shoved Mana at the center of the crowd. "You heard him, Mana. Tell him how you can't finish this dragon off and ended up helping it."

Mahaad would have charged and punched Seto for treating his little sister like that. But upon hearing the accusations against her, he froze and stared, ignoring the fact that Mana was cowering due to the many eyes on her. He just found it hard to believe. Mana would never. Mana would not in her life do such a thing. She's always talking about getting out there and slaying her first dragon. She was always going on about making him proud with it. She should know how dragon slaying was important to him. Heck, she lived for it. It was only recently that she hesitated. He scanned through his memories, one sentence echoing back in his mind...

_I can't kill dragons._

His eyes widened as he recalled what she told him before he left. Then he felt pain as all sorts of emotions raged within, blurred, vague, and heavy. It felt bad. But he didn't know what it specifically was. It just hurt and felt bad. "You did...what?" Maybe it was a lie; Seto's way of replacing her privilege.

"What he said..." Mana whispered. It was soft, barely above the normal volume. But everyone heard it just the same. "It's true..."

With that, every shard of Mahaad's already fractured hope shattered. The painful emotions finally became cohesive. Anger, betrayal, disappointment, shame, and hurt. His mind argued that his sister was not like that. She would never do something like that. His mind and heart clashed for dominance of his would be reaction.

"But please..." Mana began as she neared Atemu. To the crowd's horror, she rested her hand on the dragon's beak. "He won't hurt anyone. We got dragons all wrong. They really wouldn't hurt anyone. In fact, they are such nice creatures."

As she expected, that most definitely did it. She flinched and shrank back as the people reacted as though the end was coming. There were multiple outbursts, some calling for her to shut up, some calling her insane, and some suspecting the dragon to have clouded her judgment. But she continued. "They're no different. They're just like us in every way."

"Then why did that thing attack us?" Seto asked, his question backed by the majority. "If we didn't subdue it, we would have been dead."

Mana shrank back from the verbal onslaughts. "He thought you were going to hurt me. So he defended me." She bit her lip when Seto snorted. The other recruits were shaking their heads. And everyone was talking at the same time. They were all against her. "Please!" She called out, trying to get her voice above the noise. "Just give him a chance. Just give them all a chance."

"Are you INSANE?"

"They don't deserve chances. They're DRAGONS"

"...Nothing but pests"

"...Monsters that live to make our lives miserable!"

Everyone was talking. Not one was listening. Mana struggled to be heard. But it proved futile.

"SILENCE"

The loud, booming voice cut through the outbursts like a freshly sharpened knife would to a harmless leaf. It carried so much authority and power, enough to make everyone – even the usually defiant Seto – shut up. All eyes turned to Mahaad. He stood tall, his face composed as though he never even yelled. He was calm and serious – far more than he usually appeared. But everyone knew better. This was Mahaad's facade, used to hide pure wanton rage that no one dared step up to.

Mana gulped and shrank back further as Mahaad neared. She was in so much trouble now. Personally, she'd choose to take on the entire crowd rather than face her brother. He loomed over her, his eyes boring into hers. She shuddered and stepped back, practically feeling the heat radiating off of him.

"In the house. Now."

It was soft, deep, and heavy, making her heart beat a hundred times faster. "I-I-" She squeaked as Mahaad grabbed her upper arm, his grip tight but amazingly far from bruising point.

"Change of plans. Get that dragon to the training dome." He said as he dragged Mana, the crowd parting to let them pass. He stopped for a while. "Tomorrow at dawn, we'll have it slain instead of the Blue Eyes"

"NO" Mana shrieked, pulling against her brother's grip. She had never felt this broken and hurt. It was as though her very soul was shattered as her brother's words sunk in. She looked back, crying out as Atemu struggled against the magicians pulling him. This was not happening. "You can't. I- I can't kill him. I can't" She trailed off, lost in her brother's fierce gaze.

"What makes you think you will be the one to slay it?" Mahaad said monotonously. Ignoring Mana's frozen look, he turned to the crowd – his gaze specifically focused on Seto. "The honor of slaying the Winged Dragon shall go to Seto."

The crowd cheered, drowning Mana's broken cry. Everyone gathered around the young Sorcerer-to-be. Seto smirked as the people applauded, his cousin giving him a proud hug. Everyone's attention was focused on Seto. No one but Karim noticed Mahaad and Mana disappear.

_...This is not going to go well..._ Karim thought as he watched the door to the siblings' house shut loudly.

…

…

…

"Explain. Now"

Mana flinched as her brother's eyes bore down on her. "I..." She gulped. She felt cornered, as though she was staring death in the face. Breathing suddenly became difficult. She huffed and shuddered, feeling as though a lump lodged in her windpipe.

"I'm guessing that that was the Winged Dragon you said you captured..."

Mana nodded... hesitantly. "I-I caught it. And- I- w-went l-looking for it- the day after. A-and I-I found it." She looked Mahaad in the eye. And in one breath, "I tried to kill it. I really did. But I just couldn't" She shuddered and looked down, tears falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Mahaad looked on, his eyes slightly softening with pity. "You know, I would understand that. I know it is hard to kill. Especially on your first try." Then he frowned, his tone becoming sharp. "What I don't understand is you helping it. You couldn't kill it. But you could have at least left it to die. Do you even realize that that monster you helped caused us a lot of trouble?"

"He's not a monster, big brother." Mana countered, her voice trembling from her sobs. "They're not what they seem. As I released him, I thought he would kill me. But he didn't. Atemu didn't mean to cause us trouble. He was just protecting his kind."

"Atemu?" Mahaad voiced out, half bewildered and half angry. "You're giving these monsters names now?"

"No..." Mana whined. "That's the Winged Dragon's own name. He told me himself." She whimpered inwardly as her brother looked on...rather darkly. "I'm your sister. You have to believe me. Would I ever lie to you?"

There was tense silence before...

"I don't know..." Mahaad said quietly. "Would you? After all, you would never have revealed all this to me if the others did not find out."

"Because I knew you would be mad." Mana blurted, hyperventilating from the sheer terror and shame she felt. "I knew you would be ashamed of me."

"So you knew..." was the smooth answer. "You knew. Yet you still did it."

"Brother, I-"

"Just go to your room..." Mahaad said. "I don't want to see you for the rest of the night."

Mana let out one shuddered breath before bolting up the stairs. Mahaad closed his eyes, flinching as he heard the door slam shut.

* * *

**AN: Kay. Is my writing okay in this? I just finished it and did a fast read to check for typos. **


	13. Chapter 13

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 13**

It was late at night. Everyone had finally gone to bed. There was silence, tainted only by the humble rattle of chains.

Atemu shifted, trying to lessen the discomfort of his current predicament. He was half-pinned to the ground by dozens of heavy chains, barely allowing him any decent movement. He growled, trying to stretch his wings. But it only worsened the growing ache. With a moan, he looked up, captivated by the stars. At least the magicians didn't lock him in a cell, choosing to chain him on the ground where he will soon be slain.

"Your Highness?"

Ears perking up, Atemu turned to where the rows of cells were. A pair of blue eyes were staring right at him through the thick bars. "Yes?"

"They... they captured you too?"

Atemu looked away with a sigh. "Yes... they did."

"But... but how?"

This voice was new, masculine and deep, the opposite of the first. There was shuffling. And soon, seven pairs of dragonic eyes were staring at him through the bars of the cells. Atemu looked down, toying with the dirt beneath his feet, ashamed of being under the scrutiny of his fellow captives. "Courtesy of a series of unfortunate events."

"Isn't that always the reason?" Another voice, sarcastic and feminine, joined in.

Atemu shook his head, chuckling slightly. "Is that so?"

"Well yes." The sarcastic voice answered. "So I'll repeat Anpu's question. How exactly were you captured?"

Atemu paused. Before he could formulate an answer...

"How dare you ask such questions from our king." A new, male, voice hissed. "You are in no position to say such things, Pallu."

"He's banished remember?" Pallu hissed back. "Despite his bloodline, he has no authority over us."

"How DAR-"

"Quiet... Please..." Atemu begged. "We don't have time for arguments." Looking left and right, he added. "Has any of you formulated a way to escape?"

There was a huff, plenty of soft growls and shuffles before...

"These magicians are smarter and stronger than we have anticipated, My lord." The same male voice stated, tone sad and in despair. "The cells and chains are enhanced and bewitched, preventing us from breaking free."

"Of course..." Atemu mumbled, slumping back down. He couldn't help but mentally curse himself for being too naive. Why did he let Mana stop him? Why did he actually trust her at that time? He was being attacked! Doesn't that give him the right to defend himself? "I shouldn't have trusted her..." he mumbled as he curled up.

"I apologize for this inconvenience that has befallen you, your majesty." The voice said.

"Do not apologize for what is not your fault..." Atemu stated, trailing off when he realized he didn't know the name of the dragon he was speaking to.

And as though his mind was read...

"Paulus is the name, My Lord." The dragon said. "It is an honor to be in your presence, despite the circumstances."

Atemu snorted quietly. "It seems we have the same fate. The least we could do is get to know each other." he mumbled, turning to the other cells. "It's been a while since I last talked to my fellow kind-"

Snap...

The dragons froze, flinching as the sound of crunching twigs and leaves announced someone's approach. A shadow loomed over them.

...

...

...

Atop a desk, right by the window, Seto poured over a series of scribbles, lines, and words that made up his strategy. Three long hours, and he was still to trying to visualize the plan in his mind's eye. Not much information was collected on the Winged Dragon, so learning about its weak points and common techniques were down to experiencing it first hand. He sighed and leaned back, stretching the kinks of his muscles. There he began to think things in a sagely perspective. How was he supposed to defeat something he knew nothing about?

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. Now that he thought about it, having the Winged Dragon slain instead of the Blue Eyes wasn't such a good thing. He had been doing research, working on a strategy to defeat the Blue Eyes since it was captured. But to have his target changed, giving him only a day to prepare, analyze, and ultimately defeat the new beast was an impossible task in itself. His strategy was solely built around the Blue Eyes, the way it fights, its evasive capabilities and all that. The Winged Dragon was something else entirely. It's a thousand times faster than the Blue Eyes. Its accuracy is – based on experience – unmatched. And it is strong – _...definitely stronger than the Blue Eyes..._Seto thought.

And worse? The Winged Dragon was completely impervious to any spell and charm they came up with.

The books were useless. No magician had any experience dealing with this type of dragon,_ ...Save for Mana..._, Seto mused. But he shrugged that thought off. There was no way he'd ask for her help. And from the way she protected that dragon, helping him kill it was the last thing she would do.

That left one option: To study the dragon firsthand.

With a grunt, he pushed himself up, grabbed a reed, a thinned tree bark, his rod, and some ropes for precaution's sake. He then headed to the training grounds where the dragon was strapped to.

Upon arrival, he was met with a sight that shocked him. A huge part of his mind told him that he should have expected this to happen.

…

…

…

"Seto... please..."

Seto didn't register what Mana had said. Her presence by the dragon's side stunned his senses. His heart raced as all outrageous scenarios popped in his mind. What would he do if she would release it? Well not much since he would probably be dead. "What are you doing here?" He growled, his rod raised and glowing, ready for anything.

Mana exhaled, resting her hand atop Atemu's beak. Seto watched, brow rising as Atemu turned away, much to Mana's frustration. "Atemu, please... I'm sorry..."

She was answered with a snort as the dragon moved as far from her as its chains could allow. She turned to him. "Trying to set things right..."

"And apologizing to that monster is going to do that?" Seto mock queried, finally mustering the courage to approach Mana and the dragon. "How long have you been here doing something that stupid?"

"It's not stupid." Mana shot back. "And I just got here when you showed up." She turned to the dragon. Much to Seto's horror, she removed the heavy chains clamped onto the two horns on the side of its head.

Seto moved, prepared for an attack. But all the dragon did was ruffle its spiky head and remove the kinks from its neck while Mana massaged an apparent sore spot. "What the heck?"

"He's not going to hurt you or anyone. Unless you hurt him first." Mana explained, groaning quietly as the dragon turned away.

Seto watched, dumbfounded as Mana tried to apologize to the beast. He could clearly see that the dragon didn't want her around. What he didn't understand was the fact that the dragon didn't blast her, especially when she was in point blank range. "Well... I'm certainly not going to let you stay here with that thing." He said, tightening his grip on his rod for emphasis.

"Just... give me a minute..." Mana said quickly. She turned to Atemu, fighting back a frustrated wail when the dragon still refused to meet her gaze. "Atemu, I'm sorry I let them capture you. Please..." She held the dragon's beak, attempting to make him meet her eyes. But it was no use. With a growl, she shifted, grabbing the dragon's face in both her hands. "Atemu. Please. I'm sorry. I know I hurt you. But now is not the time to sulk about it. They are going to slay you at dawn. We have to do something."

Atemu made a low noise, sounding like a cross between a purr and a growl. "You prevented me from fighting back. I could have escaped. None of this would have happened." He whispered.

Mana bit her lip, desperately trying to swallow her irritation. "Atemu. I know you were just defending yourself. But I can't let you hurt them. They may not be the nicest people around. But they are my people." She sucked in air as Atemu growled weakly, looking away from her. "It's the same with how you feel about your fellow dragons. Even if they left you, you can't just leave them. Because you belong with them. You are one of them. Just as I am one of the Magicians."

Atemu sighed and looked down. He was hurt by what Mana did, rather what she prevented him from doing. But he should understand right? After all, they've been pests to her people. He shook his head, pawing the ground weakly. What she did tore him apart. His mind argued that it was for a good reason, and that she had a plan. But he couldn't help but feel hurt. "So now what?" He mumbled. It was meant to sound hopeless. But judging from Mana's expression, she took it differently.

Mana glanced at Seto before turning back to Atemu. "Show him. Tell him the truth..."

And as expected, Atemu was outraged. But to her relief, he kept it toned down to the point that Seto didn't notice.

"Do you have a death wish?" Atemu hissed. "Do you plan to go sightseeing in hell? Because what you are asking would definitely satisfy that."

"Just hear me out." Mana hissed. "It's the only way for them to understand what is really going on. It is the only way that would stop all this raiding and dragon killing madness."

Atemu looked away, gritting his beak. "It's such a big risk..."

"But the rewards are worth it..."

Atemu sighed. He could see her point now. But he kept his eyes down. This was difficult. This one choice could jeopardize both his and Mana's people.

But this could change everything... This could be the solution to their problems

"I can't do it." Atemu whispered. "Not with these chains on me..."

Mana leaned back and bit her lip. This was a snag. She couldn't just release Atemu, especially with Seto watching her every move.

"But maybe we could get the other dragons to do it..."

There was a spark. An idea finally came to mind. Mana grinned. And Atemu didn't know whether he should be at ease or scared by it.

…

…

…

Seto didn't know what exactly happened. One moment, Mana was whispering something to the dragon, and the next thing he knew, he had rushed there, desperately trying to hold the struggling dragon down, and Mana was nowhere in sight.

After what felt like forever, the dragon finally stopped in its amazingly silent thrashing. With a sigh, he slumped down, panting and gasping.

Footsteps came. He suspected it to belong to Mana. He whipped around, ready with a retort. But it died down on his throat as he stared at a beautiful maiden with flowing white hair.

Mana finally peeked from behind the shy looking woman, with a smile, she said. "Seto, meet Kisara, the Blue Eyes White Dragon."

**

* * *

AN: Good or bad? You tell me  
****Oh and sorry for the delay. I had exams last week**


	14. Chapter 14

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter14**

"So let me get this straight. You steal food to feed a gigantic dragon that threatened to vaporize you if you don't?"

"Pretty much..."

Seto leaned back, rubbing his forehead. Right across him sat Mana and Kisara. He was not expecting this. Then again, who would have thought that dragons were human to begin with. When he spotted Kisara, his initial reaction was bewilderment. Where did she come from? She couldn't be from the village. Because if she was, he would have seen her. He wouldn't be able to forget her pale skin. She's the first person he had ever seen with such a skin.

It took half a second for him to register the creamy white wings neatly folded behind her. And when he did, bewilderment was replaced by shock. She's literally an angel from above!

And when Mana said she was the Blue Eyes White Dragon...

_...Oh Ra, I feel a headache coming... _Seto internally moaned, burying his face in his hands. After hearing the entire story, he felt like slamming his head on the hardest rock there was. This was freakin' impossible! Insane! It sounded so... outrageous. He didn't want to believe it. But it was hard. Especially when the proof was staring at him in the face.

And worse, he actually looked forward to killing the Blue Eyes.

Murderer, idiot, and stupid, were just among the words he mentally yelled at himself. Being a dragon slaying protege no longer made him swell with pride. Everything he had done, the things he once thought were of great achievement, turned into one big ball of regret, shame, and brutality.

He felt bad, deflated, lost, and horrible. But his pride prevented it from surfacing into his features. So he just sat there, hands on his lap, and stared ahead until...

"Will we be moving anytime soon?" Atemu snarled, tugging against his chains. "We don't exactly have all the time in the world..."

"Atemu..." Mana hissed warningly. "Give Seto time to absorb it all..."

"Oh forgive me." Atemu said sarcastically. "I didn't mean to worry about the sun rising."

At that, Mana and the others finally took note of the warm glow against their skins. They stared in horror as the huge ball of flame came up from the horizon. With its rise brought about a stir in the village homes.

"C'mon..." Mana whispered, tugging an almost lethargic Seto off his feet. There was a small nudge behind her, and she turned to meet the stoic glance of Atemu. "I won't let them hurt you. I promise." She reassured. Turning to Kisara, she added. "You should hide."

Kisara nodded and staggered back, before retreating into her cage. Once her door was shut, Mana dragged Seto away from the training grounds. They managed to put some distance between the dragons and themselves before she bumped into the last person she wanted to be with for the day.

"Up so early?" Mahaad asked, a brow quirking as his gaze flickered to Mana's grip on Seto's forearm.

"Um... yeah..." Mana said hesitantly, avoiding her brother's sudden stern gaze. After what happened the night before, even one good sleep was never enough to ease the tension between them. She could feel his trademark 'what's-going-on?' gaze boring on her. "I—"

"So, Seto." Mahaad said, interrupting his little sister. "Are you ready to slay the Winged Dragon"

Seto remained silent. This got Mahaad confused and – on a certain level – concerned. Seto was usually boastful, prepared, and quick to answer. But the Seto before him was none of those. He looked uncertain and lost. One possibility came to mind. With a reprimanding gaze, he turned to his little sister. "What. Did. You. Do..."

Mana gazed dubiously at her brother before answering. "What—I...oh..." One glance towards Seto's direction fazed out the doubts. "I..." She took a deep breath. Meeting her brother's eyes, she said. "Big brother, you have to stop slaying these dragons."

As expected, her brother didn't want to hear another word. She groaned as Mahaad shoved past her in a bid to shut her up. But this time, Mana decided to strengthen her approach. Trotting to keep up with him, Mana continued. "You have to listen to me. Dragons are not all they seem."

"Please keep such nonsense to yourself, Mana." Mahaad scolded, quickening his pace as the golden dragon's form finally came to view, surrounded by his fellow magicians. He inwardly groaned as Mana ran ahead upon seeing what he saw.

…

…

…

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Jono jeered as he kicked sand in the dragon's eyes. The dragon looked down, growling in displeasure as Honda tried to hack off another winglet. "Aw... poor baby about to cry?"

"Man... this thing is real tough" Honda sighed as he wiped his brow. As he was about to resume his hacking, he was pushed out of the way, landing face first in the dirt. He turned to see the culprit standing protectively in front of the dragon. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal?" Mana furiously repeated. "You tried to hack of his winglet!" She accused, pointing a finger at Atemu.

"Uh...yeah" Honda stated. "As a souvenir." He added, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He stood up, rubbing the offended thigh and said. "How did you get the winglet off, anyway?"

"It was gone when I found him—but that is not the point..." Mana almost shrieked, earning her the attention of the crowd. "Stop treating him like he's some sort of animal!"

"But 'he' IS an animal..." Teana pipped up. "A very dangerous one at that..."

Mana bit her lip as the crowd agreed with Teana. "But—" A hand was on her shoulder. She looked up, shrinking back as Mahaad bore his angry gaze on her.

"Maybe you should stay at home when the slaying would start." Mahaad started. Seeing that Mana was about to protest. "It's for the best."

It took a while for Mana to find her voice. But when she did, she stated. "You can't have him killed, big brother. They do what they do to keep themselves alive. If they don't they'll be eaten themselves..." Motioning to Atemu, she added. "I know because he showed me. He led me there."

It was too late for Mana to realize her mistake. Everyone suddenly fell silent, all eyes focused on her. Before she knew what happened, her shoulders were grabbed, shook with a familiar mix of firmness and gentleness that could only belong to one person.

"You've been to the nest?" Mahaad hissed. "Why didn't you say so in the beginning?"

Mana stared at him. That look he wore, she knew it all to well. And it frightened her. "Big brother. This is something that even you can't handle." She was answered with a snort as he released her shoulders. She followed his gaze, eyes widening as they landed on Atemu. "Big brother, please..." She pleaded, hugging her brother's waist. "Don't do this..."

"I've had enough." Mahaad answered, pulling away from her hug. "I've tolerated your nonsense long enough." As much as it pained him, he walked away, ignoring her pleas. He reached the dragon then turned to face the crowd. "Prepare the ships. Today is the day that we will end this."

And the crowd cheered.

…

…

…

Atemu didn't know whether to be angry or afraid as the magicians lowered him to one of their ships. As far as he was concerned, they were about to take up a suicide mission. And he would be the one to lead them! He shook his head. No. He didn't want to be responsible for the upcoming slaughter. He struggled and pulled against the chains. But it was no use. He growled menacingly as the final chain was latched, securing him on the vessel.

Mahaad stood in front of him, hands on his hips, and eyes narrowed. Atemu glared at him, growling threateningly as he neared. "You're going to lead us to the nest." Mahaad snarled. "So you better not mess this one up for us." He stood up and walked away, ignoring the fierce growls and struggles the dragon resumed on doing.

He found Karim surveying the sea itself, as if trying to see where the dragon would lead them. With a sigh, he placed an assuring hand on the bulky man's shoulder, earning his attention, and said. "This is probably the only way for us to find and destroy the dragons' nest, my friend."

"I know..." Karim sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I just... can't get what Mana said out of my head." He scowled when Mahaad fought – and failed – to hold back an eye roll.

"That girl doesn't exactly say the most sensible things in the world..." Mahaad grumbled, looking away as Karim stared at him in exasperation. Truth be told, he never liked putting down his own sister. But the truth was the truth, at least that was what he thought of as the truth.

"Yeah... but what if she's right this time?" Karim all but whined as he flailed his arms. "I mean, she said she caught a Winged Dragon. We didn't believe her. Now look!" He gestured towards the said beast. "The proof is right here, bound, and about to take us to the nest!"

"I don't see your point." Mahaad whispered. But a huge part of his mind argued otherwise.

Karim facepalmed to show that he was aware of Mahaad's inner dilemma. "We're gonna track the nest using information she provided. If you believed that, then it would be wise to believe what she said after." Shoulders slumped. "I just got this nagging feeling that we're about to get caught in something big... is all..."

Mahaad pushed the hair out of his eyes as he regarded his friend. First Seto, now Karim. Two people being out of character on such an important day was not something he was expecting. "Karim, we are already caught in something big. It began a long time ago, the very day these beasts started threatening our land. Now we have a chance to end it. Don't you want to take that chance?"

A defeated sigh. Karim looked up with a small smile. "I suppose..."

Mahaad smirked as he donned the final piece of his magician regalia – the purple cap. "Then what are we waiting for..." Increasing the volume of his voice, he added. "Everyone, prepare to move out."

…

…

…

Atop a hill, Mana watched, unable to do anything, as the ships set sail. Being a burden was something she had thought of herself for a long time. So she should be used to feeling utter helplessness, uselessness, and other emotions that came with such an association. But right now, it was as though it hit her for the first time. She never felt so much pain and worthlessness. Tears fell. But she didn't bother wiping them away. Why bother acting tough when everyone else thought otherwise?

"So... you're going to just stand there and watch?"

Mana bowed her head, not bothering to face Seto. "Can't exactly do much myself, you know."

A moment of silence... "well, there's that..."

Mana rolled her eyes, snapping her head to face Seto. "You're not exactly helping."

Unfolding his arms and pushing himself from the wall of rock he was resting on, Seto made his way to stand next to Mana. Gaze focused on the sailing ships, he said. "They're going to get themselves killed, are they.."

Mana nodded after a heavy gulp. Her expression didn't contain much but the inside was another story. She was sobbing, praying to all the forces out there to protect everyone. She didn't want to lose her brother. She loved him despite his high-strung beliefs. Emotions raged. She managed to hold it all in. That was until...

"So, you're just going to let them die?"

Right after it was said, Mana fell to her knees, sobbing her heart out. "no no no no..." She trailed off, her body shaking heavily as everything she had learned to bottle within burst forth. Negative feelings were amplified. Optimism was replaced by pessimism. And the usually strong, playful, positive, and cheerful young magician was reduced to a broken heap. "I don't want them to get hurt. But there is nothing I could do. I couldn't stop them." She trailed off again, sobbing and moaning instead of speaking.

The sight was heart wrenching, making Seto bite his lip. He was not used to dealing with emotional breakdowns – especially when it concerned someone who was not expected to have it. So he did what he knew best. Back straight, arms to the sides, fists clenched, Seto glared at her. "Get up."

Mana shook her head, body still heaving. But Seto didn't take 'no' easily. So he grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to her feet. "Pull yourself together..." He snarled. "You said you don't want them to get hurt. So quit whining and do something about it."

"Like what?" Was the broken question. "What do you suggest I do? Find backup, play hero, and..." She trailed off, frozen as an idea came to mind. Seeing Seto smirk told her that he was also thinking of the same thing.

…

…

…

"You want us to WHAT?"

Mana groaned, rubbing the back of her head as the recruits – minus Seto – found her idea outrageous. Perhaps saying it for the second time should soften the impact. "We're going to stop the ships."

Bakura looked skeptical. And Mana was not surprised when he immediately voiced out his concern. "And how exactly do you plan to do that? In case you have not noticed, your brother had ALL the ships deployed."

Mana rolled her eyes. "I told you. We're gonna get the captive dragons to help us..."

"Right..." Jono said slowly and uncertainly as he rubbed his forehead. "I wasn't expecting you to be serious when you said that part."

Mana bit back a groan. "C'mon guys. They're not going to hurt you. Ask Seto. He'd tell you."

Seto simply shrugged, which didn't help much. So Mana opted for a different approach – Karim style.

"You can't be—GET AWAY FROM THERE" Honda howled as Mana rested a hand on the cage's door. He and the others ran to stop her. But they didn't make it. The door was opened and out came the Blue Eyes.

Mana stood, arms folded, and wearing a look of smug triumph on her face as the recruits froze and backpedaled, the dragon looming over them. Thinking that enough was enough, Mana stepped forward and rested her hand on the dragon's leg. To everyone's surprise, the dragon gently nudged her with its maw. "See... Kisara would not hurt a fly." She motioned to Seto who bravely – but with slight hesitance – also rested his hand on the dragon's hind leg.

No questions were asked as everyone simply stared. So Mana took this as her cue. "So, you ready to take them for a ride?" She added, the other dragons appearing behind her, staring at the ones undecided.

…

…

…

From the mist came dozens of ships, gliding silently through the still waters. Everyone on board was tense. For all they knew, an attack might come their way the moment their guard was dropped.

Atemu gulped, head tilted to the left. It was not by choice. It was instinct. Even if he didn't want to enter the nest, he would gaze at the paths, feeling something beckoning him forward.

Mahaad seemed to know it, much to Atemu's horror. The magician was right behind him, watching his every move. Every tilt of his head, every shrug towards a certain direction, Mahaad would turn the ship in response. As a result, they ventured into territory that Atemu had rarely been on himself.

Jagged rocks came into view, surrounding a towering island. Mahaad took a deep breath. This was it. He could feel it. "The devils are here..." He whispered, looking around.

"So are our other ships..." Karim muttered as he eyed the multiple shipwrecks littering the area. The ships soon touched the island's shore. The magicians got down, wearily and cautiously surveying their surroundings. They stopped upon a giant cavern.

Pointing his staff into the cavern, Mahaad fired a spell, lighting the area. To everyone's horror, the light revealed thousands of dragons within the cave. A second passed, and the dragons swarmed towards everyone.

Naturally, the magicians attacked, swiping, firing spells, doing what they could to protect themselves. But to their bewilderment, the dragons didn't bother fighting. They watched in dubious awe as the dragons fled by the thousands, flitting in the skies.

"That was it?" Karim asked. Slowly, the thought of victory seeped in. The dragons fled. Everyone cheered. Everyone but him. He didn't feel as though they won. In fact, he felt that something was amiss. He turned to Mahaad, frowning when the Master Magician had a serious gaze focused elsewhere. Following it, his own landed on the Winged Dragon.

The dragon looked frightened, struggling against its restraints, desperate to pull free. Mahaad's frown deepened as he felt a rumble beneath the earth. "It's not over yet..." When the rumble strengthened, Mahaad had no time to yell a warning. The cavern burst and crumbled.

The moment of victory turned into a moment of horror. "Ra, help us..." Mahaad muttered as a gigantic serpentine beast emerged from the remains.

* * *

**AN: I am so sorry for the late update. A lot of things happened. Graduated from college, got a year older, and lost a bit of mojo for writing. Then the site didn't let me update. Again, I apologize. One chapter left folks. I'll do what I can to put it up on time. **


	15. Chapter 15

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

**Magicians and Dragons  
****Chapter 15**

"What in Ra's name?"

Karim trailed off, backing away from the looming giant. Never had he seen a beast this big. He felt fear, something long unfamiliar to him, freezing him on the spot. This had to be a nightmare, nothing more than a horrible nightmare that he would soon wake from.

It was when the beast opened its mouth did he realize that this was no nightmare.

Magicians turned tail, fleeing the scene. They screamed as a great blast of green shot over them, slicing through the boats, leaving a trail of fire and debris.

Things were already turning ugly. But the Leviathan was just starting. Tendrils shot out from every inch of its body, trapping magicians that came within range. The magicians fought back, valiantly. But not one of their spells did any damage.

Narrowly missing a dark tendril, Mahaad hid behind a rock, making the most of the little energy he had left. This beast was strong. He could do nothing but watch as it grabbed more of his comrades. Regret seeped in. Mana was right. She was right all along. He should have listened to her. Staff held close to his heart, he looked up, silently begging for forgiveness and mercy.

And just when he was about to give up...

Five dragons zoomed overhead, the leading Blue Eyes landing in front of him. He watched, speechless as the dragon lowered Mana to the ground. .

"Let's take that ugly snake down!" Jono roared, he and the Grey Wing he rode rocketing towards the serpent. Teana and the others followed, leaving Seto and Kisara with Mahaad and Mana.

"We'll take care of the Leviathan..." Seto said coolly as Kisara stretched her wings. "You get to Atemu." And with that he and the Blue Eyes took off.

After taking a moment to watch Seto and Kisara join in the battle, Mana turned to face her brother. He was obviously confused, something she was not accustomed to. "The...what?" He began...

"I'll explain everything later..." Mana said quietly before running off to the fiery carnage that was once a horde of ships.

…

…

…

Atemu struggled, pulling against the chains holding him to the doomed ship. There was another blast, reducing half the ship's deck into wreckage and pushing it into deep water. Inevitably, the ship began to go down. Atemu's struggles were renewed. But he was unable to escape.

"ATEMU"

Atemu looked up as Mana came running towards him. He found himself relieved and at the same time frightened. He wanted her to stay safe. This situation was far from the very concept. He could only moan, his warning muffled as he was dragged into the water.

Mana was determined. With a deep breath, she took a dive. With the aid of a spell, she reached Atemu. She cast him one glance before going for the chains. A spell was fired, but to their horror, it didn't even leave a scratch.

_...Big Brother must've bewitched it... _She thought. The last bit of air finally escaped from her lips, floating to the surface. Her body began to get heavy. She began to panic, the lack of oxygen giving her a crushing sensation. She was on the verge of passing out when she felt someone grab her. In a blur of color, she soon found herself able to breathe. She didn't even have time to see her savior when he jumped back in the water.

Atemu struggled to stay awake. But the lack of oxygen was overwhelming him. This was it. This was probably his end. As he prepared to close his eyes, a muffled splash caught his attention. He looked up, shocked and unsure as he stared at the face of the man who sentenced him to this fate.

…

…

…

Mana stood on shaky legs, rubbing her arms free of the cold. She kept her gaze locked on the water, hoping and praying that whoever got her out would get to Atemu in time.

Right then, the water's surface broke, drops raining everywhere as the golden dragon emerged. He landed in front of her, shaking off the remaining fluid in a canine fashion. Mana didn't wait for him to finish. She ran forward and gave him a hug, which he returned wholeheartedly.

Their moment was interrupted when another figure emerged from the water.

"Big brother..." Mana whispered, running towards a very drenched Mahaad and helping him up as he crawled to shore.

One wave of his staff dried him. When that was finished, his gaze landed on Atemu. Both locked eyes for a moment before Mahaad turned to face his sister, his expression soft as he rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I never should have doubted you"

No words could describe what Mana felt. So she settled for lunging at him, giving him a stronger-than-usual bear hug that she hoped conveyed all her emotions.

After returning her hug, Mahaad straightened up, holding Mana by her shoulders and said. "You were right. We have to find a way out of here before that thing destroys us all..."

To his surprise Mana shook her head. "No. It is too late for that. Fighting is our only option now."

He agreed with his sister, but they would be fighting a losing battle. With a resigned sigh, "Mana, that thing is winning. We cannot beat it. "

Her brother's gaze went beyond her, focused on the gut twisting scene. The beast's tendrils were pulling the magicians in. No spell or charm made its mark in any form.

Seto and the other recruits were not doing much damage either. Their attacks were simply absorbed by that gelatinous like body. The only thing they accomplished was getting the beast annoyed. To it, they were as threatening as houseflies.

They were losing. And there was no escape from it.

"Maybe if we work together, we would be able to win this battle."

The statement had some sort of hopeful air that boosted Mahaad's esteem. But it sounded so impossible. And the fact that the Winged Dragon was the one who said it made it all the more hard to accomplish.

Mahaad had no time to voice his doubts, thoughts, and questions as Mana was rejuvenated by the dragon's idea. He wasn't even able to move when his sister got on the dragon's back. All she said was. "Keep them attacking, big brother. We'll be back..." before they took off, leaving him to stare after them.

"Right..." He whispered, clenching his fist determinedly. Not heeding his sister's words brought this chaos. He was not about to make the same mistake again.

Karim was up ahead, chopping the tendrils that had attempted to capture a comrade. Mahaad couldn't help but smirk as he stopped by his side, saying. "Ready to go wild?"

Karim's grin was all the confirmation he needed. "Just like old times, eh?"

With a determined cry, both men charged, watching each other's backs as they sliced and blasted through the dark tendrils that attempted to grab them.

_...I just hope this works... _Mahaad thought as the beast opened its mouth, green light forming at the back of its throat.

…

…

…

"Where to now?" Mana asked, doing what she could to be heard over the altitude's roar. The wind was painfully slapping her skin, so she leaned forward, hoping that she didn't have to repeat herself.

"We're going to find the others..." Was Atemu's blunt reply, cutting himself off as he spread his wings, gaining more altitude. He could feel Mana's uncertainty through that tight grip she had. In order to ease it, "If we could get the other dragons to help us, we can put an end to this madness..."

Mana nodded, biting her lip as the air became painfully cold. Her face and arms had become numb. She didn't know if she could take much more. Luckily, what she assumed was their destination was revealed in the form of a towering cave. And judging from the increase in Atemu's speed towards it, her assumption was correct.

The cave was huge. She felt like an ant entering a giant's abode. The air inside was humid. Nothing much was seen, except utter darkness. She felt a small thud as Atemu landed in the midst of the dark cave. Questions were threatening to spill from her. But before she had the chance, Atemu let loose a ball of golden flame, igniting a series of torches by their side.

She let out a small gasp. It was like being in a gigantic palace made of pure stone. Small caves lined the walls, each connected by a stone path seemingly pulled and carved from the stone. The place they were standing on supported a mighty throne. It didn't take much for it to click.

"In case you are wondering, we're just on the other side of the island." Atemu stated, assuming his Ba form. He stood, back straight, watching as his fellows emerged from the small caves.

"You...brought an... outsider?"

"No wonder the Leviathan is mad!"

"How could you do this to us?"

"You have DOOMED us all!"

Mana had to recoil upon hearing the outraged voices. Every one of the winged people had their eyes focused on her. Each had a haunted look on their faces, something that stirred guilt within her.

The accusations kept coming, bouncing around the cave, turning the once quiet sanctuary into a noise filled hell. There seemed to be no end to it until...

"SILENCE"

And everyone did just that. Despite being banished, the dragons still looked upon Atemu as their true king.

"We can end this..." Atemu continued. "We can be free of the Leviathan once we stand up and fight."

There was silence until hundreds of meek murmurs echoed around them, most sounding doubtful and skeptical about the attempt to stir rebellion.

Atemu's eyes assessed every face he could see. All held similar expressions of fear and uncertainty. With a deep sigh, he wearily gazed at Mana, praying that perhaps she had an idea.

…

…

…

"RETREAT"

The Leviathan roared, its long body swiping against the coast. Those who were not able to get away were sent flying while the rest were desperately trying to find means to escape.

And just when everything seemed to be lost...

A blast of fire, half the size of a hill, went straight for the Leviathan's head. The force sent it reeling, but far from down.

The magicians stopped to look back, awed by the legion of dragons flying overhead. There was a glare, one that caught Mahaad's eye. And he immediately knew – they were no longer alone in this. With renewed vigor, Mahaad faced his fellows. And with a battle cry, they charged. Spells were fired relentlessly.

The Leviathan gave a warning hiss, but it went unheeded. Its body coiled, head raised like a cobra about to strike.

The overhead battalion already knew what the beast planned. With amazing sync and timing, they evaded a green blast that would have disintegrated them on contact. They didn't hesitate to return the favor, launching various attacks on the Leviathan's coiled body.

The Leviathan cried out as attacks from both parties left their respective marks. Unfortunately, the damages were not much. The Leviathan still stood strong.

"Mana"

Mana turned to see her fellow recruits, atop their respective dragons, coming towards them. Seto was in the lead. They gathered around her. "How exactly are we going to destroy this thing?"

"We have to aim for its mouth..." Atemu stated. "Hit it while a blast is forming." Turning to Jono and Honda. "We need to have it fire another blast."

"Are ya nuts?" Jono roared. "Ya saw wha' that thing could do with it."

"And why should we trust you." Bakura sneered, earning him a jerk from the dragon he was riding.

"The fact that I didn't kill you when I had the chance." Atemu grounded out.

"It's the only way..." Mana urged.

They didn't have much time to think. The precious decision making seconds they had was thrown away in favor of avoiding one of those black tendrils that began its second course attack.

Jono and Honda shared a terrified glance. Both flinched and nearly fell off their dragons as Seto and Kisara cut through them, a Burst Stream coming its way.

The blast smashed against the Leviathan's side, soliciting an angry hiss but no signature attack. Teana and the others joined in, doing nothing more than being a nuisance to the beast.

Then their chance came.

"NOW"

One deep breath. One good aim, and then Atemu let loose a blast of golden light. It streaked through the air at lightning speed, hitting the dragon 's maw.

It stopped the Leviathan's attack. But the beast was still standing.

The Leviathan's attack fizzed out. But it was not long before it was charging up for another attack. A ball of bright pink fire got to it again. Like before, the blast was stopped but the beast still remained standing. But it started losing control. Its tendrils have gotten limp, retreating back into its body.

"The attack must last longer." Atemu realized. He didn't need to go down and announce it. Everyone with eyes had seen it for themselves. They all knew what must be done.

The Leviathan attempted another blast, having no other means of attacking. But this time everyone was prepared. All attacks were aimed just as the blast began to form. There was a gigantic ball of light, soon followed by a strong explosion.

"MANA" Atemu yelled. The white flames that engulfed the Leviathan was coming towards them fast. They needed to get out of the way. Mana didn't need to be told twice. She immediately applied the right pressure, stirring Atemu in the right direction.

Or what she thought was the right direction.

Out of the blinding light, a large ridge of the Leviathan's spikes met them. The smashed into it, causing them to tumble in a terrifying downward spiral.

Atemu struggled to maintain control, but he just couldn't do it without Mana. And speaking of whom, he couldn't find her anywhere until he looked down. She was unconscious, spelling big trouble for them both.

With no one else around them, there was only one way for them to be saved. He took a deep breath, eyes focused on the falling magician. With every strength he had, he angled himself downwards, his Ka fading along the way.

…

…

…

It was all over. The light faded and the giant dragon was nowhere in sight. But Mahaad was not even near relieved. He was frantically looking around, going here and there, even going as far as upturning the debris in search of his beloved sister.

"Mahaad, you have to see this."

He ignored Karim, more focused on finding his little sister. He would never be able to forgive himself if she died from this. He inwardly groaned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "What." He grounded out.

Karim didn't answer. He simply dragged Mahaad by the arm. Mahaad was a bit resistant at the first few steps. But eventually, he gave in and followed, his head down. It was only when they stopped did he allow himself to look up. And when he did, he didn't even allow his shock to hold him back.

A lot of his fellows were gathered around a strange being, cocooned by what looked like feathers of fuchsia, black, and gold. It had the face of a man but hair he doubted belonged to mankind.

But it was those barely open crimson eyes that made him act the way he did. When those eyes locked with his, he immediately knew that this was the Winged Dragon. How it appeared as it was now, he didn't know. But he didn't care. He could only look on as the man gave him a small smile before unfolding his wings, revealing his unconscious little sister. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her.

"Looks like she's okay." Karim confirmed. But with a sad smile, he added. "Most of her...that is..."

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the delay folks. I got depressed and I was kinda embarrassed of this story. Maybe it was because of the depression? bah, never mind. Anyway, this isn't the end... yet. **


	16. Epilogue

Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi. Not me

_=2 weeks later=_

The first thing she saw was something wide, blurry, and brown before a sudden flash of crimson appeared, jolting her wide awake. She pouted, folding her arms like a spoiled child upon seeing Atemu standing by her bedside, wings neatly folded, and holding a basket of fruit.

"Do you seriously have to do that whenever you come and visit?" Mana whined, reaching for the nice and juicy plum the young king offered her.

"It's fun" Was the playful reply.

Mana groaned and sat up, wincing slightly. Despite her attempt to hide it, Atemu saw right through her, as evidenced by the sudden disappearance of his playfulness. "Still broken, huh..." He whispered.

Mana carefully lifted her leg out of her bed. She grabbed a cane from the side, using it as her weight's base when she stood up. "But I can stand up now." She pipped up.

Her attempt at finding humor in anything always amused Atemu, making him play along, despite himself. "You look like an old lady." He commented nonchalantly. And as expected, a pillow was sent his way. He didn't even bother evading. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Out..." Mana answered sweetly. "I need daylight too you know." Atemu just rolled his eyes and gently helped her limp out of her home. There was a short glare of light, subsiding to reveal the new lifestyle thriving.

Houses that were once dragon proof were no more. Dragon training and slaying disappeared. People who once lived in fear and battles became chipper and relaxed.

"**Yup. This is the Nile Valley. The view is always fantastic and the buildings always bright. People are warm and happy, always carefree and enjoying life."**

The dragons, no longer appearing as dragons, had come for a visit. Having a chat, bringing gifts, visiting new friends. Despite their nonhuman appendages, they were treated as equals, no longer seen as threats. Mana smiled at the sight.

"**The best part would be the neighbors. Most would have nomads, campers, rival tribes, and all that. We have... dragons."**

END

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**AN: And this is the end. Hehe. sorry the last two parts took so long. Next up? I don't know. But it will come. Eventually. **


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